NEWARK, N.J. -- Taylor Hall scored two goals and the New Jersey Devils took a major step toward their first playoff berth since 2012 with a 4-3 victory over the New York Islanders on Saturday night.
Coupled with Florida's 5-1 loss to Boston earlier in the day, the Devils opened a five-point lead over the Panthers in the race for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference and moved within a point of idle Philadelphia for the top wild-card spot. Both teams have four games left in the regular season, one fewer than Florida.