By ALLAN KREDA
NEWARK — Timo Meier scored twice and Jacob Markstrom made 26 saves because the New Jersey Devils defeated the New York Rangers 4-0 on Saturday in an final result that clinched the Tampa Bay Lightning their eighth straight playoff berth.
Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier additionally scored as New Jersey received its third straight whereas the Rangers had their two-game successful streak snapped.
After a scoreless first, Meier scored on the ability play at 10:56 of the second, beating Rangers netminder Igor Shesterkin simply 4 seconds after Sam Carrick took an interference penalty.
Bratt made it 2-0 — shorthanded at 12:23 — together with his twenty first objective.
Meier scored his second of the sport and twenty fourth of the season at 15:01 of the third. Hischier made it 4-0 at 16:12 together with his team-leading thirty fifth objective. Hischier added two assists.
Markstrom denied the Rangers the remainder of the best way for his fourth shutout of the season and the twenty fourth of his profession. The 35-year-old Swedish netminder is 26-14-6 in his first season with the Devils.
The Rangers, a yr after ending with the league’s finest file, are in peril of lacking the playoffs. They path Montreal by two factors with six video games remaining. Montreal has seven video games left.
New York failed on its two power-play probabilities and have scored solely twice of their final 43 man-advantage alternatives.
New Jersey is solidly in third place within the Metropolitan Division with 89 factors.
Shesterkin made 12 saves in tghe loss, falling to 25-27-5 this season.
TAKEAWAYS
Rangers: Fell to 18-16-4 on the highway, together with a 5-0 drubbing at Prudential Heart of their earlier go to on Dec. 23.
Devils: Improved to 19-13-15 at residence with their fourth win in 5 video games general.
KEY MOMENT
Meier’s objective halfway via the second interval snapped a scoreless tie and the disjointed Rangers generated little offense for the second half of the competition.
KEY STAT
New Jersey is 34-1-2 when main after two durations. The Devils have 9 shutouts general this season.
UP NEXT
Rangers: Host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday.
Devils: Host the Boston Bruins on Tuesday.
