Blue Jackets score 4 straight, rally past Devils

NEWARK, N.J. -- Charlie Coyle had a goal and two assists for the Columbus Blue Jackets in a come-from-behind 5-3 win against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on Monday.

Sean Monahan scored two goals, Zach Werenski had two assists, and Elvis Merzlikins made 30 saves in his first start in five games for the Blue Jackets (12-9-5), who had lost four straight (0-1-3).

"We got down 2-0 early and it didn't faze us," Werenski said. "I thought [Merzlikins] bounced back and made huge saves to kind of get us going and get us in the game. With everything that unfolded tonight, it was just us sticking up for each other and having each other's back.

"I think that's important in a long season, and it's a great win for our group."

Nico Hischier had a goal and an assist, Jesper Bratt had two assists and Jake Allen made 19 saves for the Devils (16-9-1), who have lost two in a row.

"It definitely was an emotional game," Hischier said. "There were points on the line and we didn't finish the job."

The teams combined for 74 minutes in penalties, including 64 in the second period.

Devils defenseman Brenden Dillon, who was playing in his 1,000th NHL game, was forced to the locker room after a fight with Dmitri Voronkov at 1:01 of the second period. Dillon returned to play 4:10 in the second but didn't play in the third period.

"After [Dillon left], emotions were high," Hischier said. "It was 2-2, the game was open, and some mistakes cost us."

New Jersey also was without defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler, who was given a game misconduct for not having his jersey fastened properly during a fight at 3:58 of the second period.

"I don't like how we handled those situations emotionally," New Jersey coach Sheldon Keefe said. "Obviously not long after the situation with [Dillon] they scored so I don't like that. We've got to do a better job of staying in it emotionally, as hard as it might be."

Hischier scored a power-play goal at 1:26 of the first period to give New Jersey a 1-0 lead when his centering pass deflected in off the stick of Columbus defenseman Ivan Provorov.

Palat extended the lead to 2-0 on a wrist shot from the slot at 3:03.

Denton Mateychuk pulled the Blue Jackets within 2-1 with a power-play goal on a redirection from the slot at 9:54.

The Devils appeared to take a 3-1 lead 17:08 into the first when Timo Meier scored a power-play goal off a scramble from the right post, but the Blue Jackets successfully challenged the play for goalie interference on Stefan Noesen in the crease.

Monahan tied it 2-2 at 1:28 of the second period during 4-on-4 play on a wrist shot from the left hashmarks.

Coyle converted his own rebound at the left post at 6:40 of the third period to give Columbus a 3-2 lead, before Monahan scored 34 seconds later on a snap shot outside the right post for a 4-2 lead at 7:14.

Meier made it 4-3 with a power-play goal on a snap shot from the bottom of the right circle at 11:51.

Miles Wood pushed it to 5-3 on a wrist shot at 13:31 after Coyle took advantage of an errant pass by Allen from behind his net and fed Wood for an open net in the slot.

"Lately things haven't been going our way [in the third period] so you can say it's going to be the same old song and dance when they made it 4-3 but we just keep playing the right way," Coyle said. "It's a big goal to extend the lead and then play with the lead and keep our momentum going that way."

NOTES: Merzlikins moved within one win of becoming the second Columbus goalie to reach 100 after Sergei Bobrovsky (213). ... Keefe said Dillon was "doing well' and did not play in the third period for precautionary reasons. ... Dillon became the 11th undrafted defenseman to reach the 1,000-game milestone after debuting in 1963-64 or later (following the first NHL Amateur Draft in 1963). ... Hischier (six goals, 12 points) and Meier (five goals, eight points) each extended his point streak to six games. ... Devils defenseman Simon Nemec played a game-high 30:52.