Timo Meier recorded his fifth career hat trick and collected four points as the New Jersey Devils never trailed and earned a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night in Newark, N.J.
Meier scored for the fourth straight game as the Devils won for the fourth time in 11 games (4-7-0) and pulled within six points of the Tampa Bay Lightning for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Meier scored a power-play goal and again on even strength in a span of 2:40. He added his third goal late in the second, giving New Jersey its fourth hat trick of the season.
Ondrej Palat was moved up the top line after Tyler Toffoli was held out of the game for trade-related reasons. Palat had the primary assists on two of Meier's goals.
Nico Hischier also collected two assists while Jack Hughes had an assist and drew the penalty that led to Meier's first goal.
Erik Haula added an empty-net goal in the final minute after Meier chipped the puck out of the defensive zone.
New Jersey goalie Nico Daws made 23 saves.
Brandon Saad scored for the Blues, who are 6-8-1 in their past 15 since a late-January five-game winning game streak. St. Louis entered six points behind the Los Angeles Kings for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
St. Louis goalie Jordan Binnington made 29 saves.
After Hughes drew a penalty on Nick Leddy, Meier ripped an off-balance backhander from the left side of the crease by Binnington after three defenders went to Hischier with 6:36 remaining.
Meier made it 2-0 with 3:56 left when the Devils cycled the puck around after an offensive zone faceoff win. John Marino's cross-ice pass banked off Leddy's stick to Palat, whose pass from the right side went to Meier for a shot from the left side.
Saad made it 2-1 with 10:57 left in the second period after Scott Perunovich's drive rang off the left post. The puck caromed to Saad, who easily swept the rebound from below the right circle and into the vacated right side of the net.
Meier got his third goal with 3:20 left in the second immediately after coming onto the ice on a line change. He got another pass from Palat and ripped a shot from between the circles in the slot and by Binnington's blocker.
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