Schneider, Devils hold off Blue Jackets

COLUMBUS -- Cory Schneider made 41 saves to help the New Jersey Devils defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1 at Nationwide Arena on Tuesday and move into first place in the Metropolitan Division.

The Devils (16-7-4), who entered Tuesday tied for second with the New York Islanders, one point behind Columbus (17-10-1), got second-period goals from Taylor Hall and Stefan Noesen to take a 3-1 lead. Jesper Bratt scored at 11:06 of the third.
New York lost 6-2 at the Tampa Bay Lightning.
"The second and third periods were definitely the way we want to play, how we want to play," New Jersey captain Andy Greene said. "We used our speed a lot and generated chances off the rush that gave them some problems."
WATCH: [All Devils vs. Blue Jackets highlights]
Hall, Noesen and rookie forward Bratt each had a goal and an assist. Travis Zajac scored, and rookie center Nico Hischier had two assists to help Schneider to his 100th win with New Jersey.
The Blue Jackets lost their second straight game and had their five-game home winning streak end. Columbus and New Jersey will finish their home-and-home series at Prudential Center in Newark on Friday.

Nick Foligno scored in the first period, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 32 saves for Columbus.
"We had a good first period," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "We lost ourselves after we scored our goal [and] then they fed it to us the second and third periods.
"They had 11 scoring chances on second attempts. We had zero, zero," Tortorella said. "[Forty-two] shots and we had zero rebounds. That tells you a lot about the mindset the second and third periods.
"Probably the only shot [Schneider] didn't see was the goal."
Hall gave New Jersey a 2-1 lead at 4:47 of the second period off a pass from Hischier, the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. Hischier sped to the right face-off dot, cut back against defenseman Seth Jones and sent a tape-to-tape backdoor pass to Hall for ninth goal.

"To him it's just a pass. To everyone else it's an elite play," Devils coach John Hynes said of Hischier. "That's the difference when you have an elite hockey mind compared to everyone else."
Hischier was also instrumental in giving the Devils a 3-1 lead at 19:14 of the second on the second goal of the season by Noesen. Hischier sent a cross-ice pass to Miles Wood, who took a shot from the left circle. Bobrovsky's mask fell off, and the puck was in the crease when Noesen poked it in.
"He was certainly a guy who stepped up tonight both offensively and competitively," Hynes said of Hischier.
The Devils were looking for a good start after losing their previous game 5-0 at the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday, and they got it when Zajac scored for a 1-0 lead at 4:24 of the first.

The Blue Jackets made it 1-1 at 13:46 of the first, two seconds after their first power play ended. Foligno, at the edge of the crease, tipped in a shot by Oliver Bjorkstrand for his sixth goal.
"In the first period we were all over them," Foligno said. "It was a 1-1 game but we gave them that first one."

Goal of the game

Hall's goal at 4:47 of the second period.

Save of the game

Schneider's save on Boone Jenner at 11:01 of the first period.

Highlight of the game

Noesen's goal at 19:14 of the second period.

They said it

"We collectively got together and raised our compete level. Our second period was really good. Our third period was really good." -- Devils forward Brian Boyle
"I haven't seen it that often with our team but we were outworked. We were out-quicked. They were more tenacious. The result is what's deserved, if not more." -- Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella
"It's a little frustrating but we've kind of done it to ourselves here. It's not like we're not trying. We're doing video on it every day and trying to get it back to the basics." -- Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones on the Columbus power play, which went 0-for-6 and is 2-for-42 (4.8 percent) in the past 15 games

Need to know

Hall has eight points in the past six games (three goals, five assists). … Foligno has three goals in the past six games.

What's next

Devils:Host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday (7 p.m. ET; FS-O, MSG+, NHL.TV)
Blue Jackets:At the New Jersey Devils on Friday (7 p.m. ET; FS-O, MSG+, NHL.TV)