TORONTO _ The Devils, even as they near official playoff elimination, are showing a good understanding they still have things to prove.
Their 4-2 loss to the Maple Leafs on Thursday at Air Canada Centre was another scrappy effort even as they lost their eighth straight road game in regulation.
John Moore scored both goals for the Devils (27-34-12) while Keith Kinkaid made 26 saves. Curtis McElhinney stopped 30 shots for the Maple Leafs (35-23-15).
The loss reduced the Devils' tragic number for elimination to two _ points either lost by them or gained by team holding the Eastern Conference's second wild-card spot. The Bruins' 6-3 loss to the visiting Lightning on Thursday staved off the Devils' elimination for now.
"I think we have to be honest with ourselves at some point," defenseman Jon Merrill said. "Even though we're not going to be in the playoffs this year, we still have a lot to play for and still a lot that matters. I think, because of the situation we're on, a lot of us have opportunities that we have to take advantage of to showcase what we can do and why we belong here."
That's certainly the situation for Kinkaid, though he may be auditioning for other teams just as much as he is for the Devils.
Kinkaid, who turns 28 on July 4, is completing a two-year, $1.45 million deal and will be an unrestricted free agent in what could be a very volatile market for goalies thanks to the fledgling Vegas Golden Knights and the upcoming expansion draft.
Kinkaid, as an impending unrestricted free agent, is not subject to being protected for the expansion draft. But who Vegas selects will certainly impact which teams are looking for goalies this summer.
"There could be a lot of movement," Kinkaid said. "As of right now, I'm not affected by the draft, really. But there's a lot of moving pieces that could happen. It's a tough year for that. Whatever I'm meant to do, that's where I'll be."
Obviously, Kinkaid's ultimate aspiration is to be a No. 1 goalie in the NHL and it certainly seems Devils coach John Hynes will give him regular work in the waning days of the regular season. Thursday marked Kinkaid's third start in the last five games and the Devils have back-to-back games upcoming as they host the Hurricanes on Saturday and the Stars on Sunday.
"This is the only place I've ever not been a start so it's not like I can't handle it," Kinkaid said. "I've just got to keep working, no matter what. Sometimes breaks happen, whether it's injury or another team wanting [a starter]. I feel my game has come a long way and I'm ready for whatever happens."
Both Kinkaid and McElhinney had forgettable moments in the first period.
On a delayed penalty, Moore took a sharp-angle shot from the right _ the game's first shot _ that trickled through McElhinney's pads at 2:59.
But the Maple Leafs tied it on Josh Leivo's power-play goal at 5:46. Kinkaid got his glove on Auston Matthews initial shot from the right but as he went to cover the puck, he inadvertently pushed it back toward the goal line, where Leivo easily knocked it in. William Nylander, with the teams skating four on four, gave the Maple Leafs a 2-1 lead at 18:17 as he roofed a wrist shot over Kinkaid's glove after being allowed to skate in from the point to low in the right circle.
That became 3-1 at 2:04 of the second period as James van Riemsdyk, off the left post, easily deposited the rebound of Mitchell Marner's initial shot from the right.
Moore's second goal, a power-play shot from the blue line at 9:04 of the third period survived the Maple Leafs' challenge that Joseph Blandisi interfered with McElhinney.
Connor Brown's empty-netter with 45.1 seconds left sealed it.
