COLUMBUS, Ohio _ The Devils have insisted all through this up-and-down season that when they play the right way, with a tenacious identity, they can play with the best teams in the NHL.
On Saturday night, they did.
Solid goaltending, solid defense in limiting second-chance opportunities, solid penalty killing and capitalizing on their scoring chances added up to a 5-1 win over the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena.
Just overlook the seventh short-handed goal the Devils have allowed this season.
Taylor Hall had two goals and an assist, Travis Zajac had a goal and an assist and Cory Schneider, benefiting from an overturned goal early in the third period, made 31 saves before having his bid for his third shutout this season ended on Matt Calvert's short-handed goal at 11:35 of the third period.
The Devils (22-21-10) are now 8-0-1 on the road since Dec. 29 and have won six straight. What's keeping them from being propelled into the middle of the playoff race is their seven-game home losing streak and 1-7-2 skid at Prudential Center since Dec. 31.
Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 25 shots for the Blue Jackets (33-13-5). The Blue Jackets, now 18-6-1 at home, won 16 straight from Nov. 29-Jan. 3, but fell to 6-8-1 since that streak ended.
The Devils started play on Saturday six points out of the Eastern Conference's last playoff spot � and just two points out of the cellar � while the Blue Jackets were just three points behind the Capitals for the conference lead.
Both teams had also played on Friday night and both had lost 4-3 in overtime, the Devils to the visiting Flames and the Blue Jackets at Pittsburgh.
And both goalies were also playing on consecutive nights.
"By no means has he been overused this year and we need him to play real well for us," Devils coach John Hynes said of Schneider.
The Devils, who play nine of their 11 games this month at home, host the Sabres on Monday and then get their bye week, not coming back together until a late afternoon practice on Feb. 11 before hosting the Sharks the next afternoon.
Saturday's game marked the first of four meetings with the Blue Jackets for the Devils over a 20-game stretch.
After playing a smart first period, the Devils extended their advantage to 3-0 with a stronger second period, remaining aggressive rather than protecting a lead.
Jacob Josefson scored his first goal of the season as he deflected captain Andy Greene's shot past Bobrovsky at 1:49 to make it 2-0. The Blue Jackets had twice rallied from two-goal deficits in their Friday night overtime loss.
But Schneider and the Devils stymied the Blue Jackets' second chances and the Devils made it a three-goal advantage on a second chance of their own as Zajac banged in the rebound of P.A. Parenteau's initial shot for a power-play goal at 18:58.
The Devils had taken a 1-0 lead at 3:29 of the first period as Hall, with his 12th goal and his first in eight games, slipped a backhander through Bobrovsky's pads after Zajac's drop pass low in the left circle.
The Devils also killed off the Blue Jackets' two power plays in the first period by allowing just one shot total. The Blue Jackets have the NHL's top-ranked power play but had not had a man advantage in either of their previous two games.
The Devils, guilty in Friday's overtime loss of sitting back too much to protect a third-period lead, had a scare just 25 seconds into Saturday's third period. Cam Atkinson shoveled a backhander at the crease and it deflected in off Boone Jenner at the left post.
But Hynes used his coach's challenge, claiming goalie interference, and video review showed Schneider was impeded, with the goal coming off the board.
Hall then clinched it with an empty-net goal at 16:48 of the third period to make it 4-1.
