LOS ANGELES _ The Devils sure look like a team that has every intention of making the playoffs.
New Jersey won its third straight game on Saturday afternoon, easing past the Kings, 3-0, at Staples Center. The Devils have now won four out of five, edging closer tot heir first playoff berth since the 2011-12 season.
With the win, the Devils temporarily jumped ahead of Columbus for the first wild-card spot in the east. The Blue Jackets play Saturday night and could retake the lead.
Keith Kinkaid was fantastic in net again, making 37 saves and notching his first shutout of the season.
The Kings are also in a playoff race, but they were beaten so thoroughly that the fans here were booing as the final minutes of the clock ticked off.
Michael Grabner had to wait eight long games before he scored his first goal as a Devil. But he only had to wait a couple periods for No. 2 to come. Grabner got the Devils off to a phenomenal start in the first period, when he scored a short-handed goal _ his 27th of the season and his second as a Devil.
Grabner made the play happen himself. He chased down a loose puck and then beat Jonathan Quick for the go-ahead goal less than six minutes into the game. The Devils would never trail.
After scoring his first goal as a Devil in Vegas on Wednesday, Grabner admitted it was a relief. And now it looks like he may be heating up.
Before the game, Devils coach John Hynes made the decision to ride the hot hand and go with Kinkaid for the third straight game, and it worked out. Kinkaid has now won 9 of his last 11 starts and has only given up more than two goals in three of those appearances. Before the game, Hynes raved about his goaltender's recent play as Mo. 1 goaltender Cory Schneider continues to try and get back to 100 percent after a groin injury.
"He's done a good job," Hynes said of Kinkaid. "When a guy like Cory goes down for this amount of time and then is working his way to get back into the form that he needs, Keith's done a really nice job of just stepping up and he's given us an opportunity to be very competitive and that what we needed. He's definitely been a very important part of our team and a big reason why we're in a tight race as we are now."
Will Hynes continue to ride the hot hand Sunday in Anaheim? That remains to be seen.
