Columbus @ New Jersey preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 20, 2018 ) New Jersey 1, Columbus 2

Taylor Hall looks to continue an offensive surge as the New Jersey Devils attempt to win back-to-back games for the first time in more than a month when they host the red-hot Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday afternoon. The reigning Hart Trophy winner, Hall scored two goals and set up two others in Friday's 5-2 victory over Ottawa, giving him three tallies and three assists during his three-game point streak.

“I think everyone is sick of losing, and that might be our downfall at times, is people try to do too much, take the game over themselves instead of working as a five-man unit and really getting through this as a team,” Hall told reporters after the win. “Certainly tonight I had some jump, and I don’t think I touched the puck the first two shifts. But after that, our line got rolling and started feeling good and made some plays.” The Devils, who have not won consecutive games since Nov. 13 and 15, will try to snap a four-game losing streak against the Blue Jackets that included a 2-1 road setback on Thursday. Columbus has earned at least one point in five straight contests (4-0-1) after getting two goals from Cam Atkinson en route to a 4-3 victory at Philadelphia on Saturday. Sergei Bobrovsky has started five consecutive games for the Blue Jackets, allowing just seven goals in the process, and coach John Tortorella called his performance in Saturday’s win "probably his best game of the year” after he turned aside 34 shots.

TV: 12:30 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, FS Ohio (Columbus), MSG Plus (New Jersey)

ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (20-12-3): Artemi Panarin scored his 98th career goal Saturday and added a pair of assists to tie Atkinson (22 goals) for the team lead with 37 points. Pierre-Luc Dubois, who recorded a career-best three assists against Philadelphia to push his season total to 31 points, is tied with Josh Anderson for second on the team with 13 goals. If Bobrovsky (15-10-1, .908 save percentage) needs a rest on Sunday, Tortorella may turn to backup Joonas Korpisalo (5-2-2, .885) for the team's last contest before the holiday break.

ABOUT THE DEVILS (12-15-7): Miles Wood did not record a point on Friday but made an impact with four shots, five hits and 14 penalty minutes. “We’ll take that Miles Wood game every night,” coach John Hynes told reporters. “He was physical, he was hard on some of their skilled (defensemen), he got hit and hit back. That’s what we need from him. … His emotion in the game was a factor.” Hall leads the team with 37 points and linemate Kyle Palmieri tops the Devils with 18 goals while Nico Hischier, who centers the unit, has notched seven points in his last eight games.

OVERTIME

1. Columbus D Ryan Murray, who recorded an assist versus the Flyers and is second on the team with a plus-15 rating, is slated to play in his 300th NHL game on Sunday.

2. New Jersey activated RW Stefan Noesen (illness) on Friday and placed LW Marcus Johansson (upper body) on injured reserve.

3. The Blue Jackets have been on a roll of late despite receiving little help from a power play that has gone 1-for-25 over the last eight contests.

PREDICTION: Devils 4, Blue Jackets 3