Devils lock up playoff berth by edging Leafs

The fast break Devils could be a mirror image of the Maple Leafs.

But Toronto’s track team didn’t like what it saw Thursday at the Prudential Center — a playoff tune-up for both teams, but one the home team wanted more to clinch their first playoff spot in six years.

The Leafs, in falling to New Jersey 2-1, made enough of the little mistakes that would cost them a week from today when they open the first round in Boston or Tampa.

That leaves Toronto one chance on Saturday at home against Montreal to get the point it needs to break the franchise record, with the Leafs stuck on 103. Frederik Andersen, who faced 39 shots Thursday, is still a win away from establishing a new mark of 38 victories by a Leafs goalie in a season.

Upstart New Jersey, meanwhile, has learned its lesson. “We were an easy team to play against last year,” Devils defenceman Ben Lovejoy said before the game. “We tried to out-skill teams. We weren’t ready to play hard games every night. ”

But when Nico Hischier stuck a leg out on a trip, the second-ranked Leafs power play made the most of it. William Nylander banked a shot off of Andy Greene’s stick for the only first-period goal. It was Nylander’s 20th of the season, two behind his career high, and gave the Leafs six shooters with 20, the most on the club since 1998-99.

Pavel Zacha had New Jersey’s first goal, firing a shot in a small hole Andersen left under his crossbar.

Miles Wood scored the winner on a feed from Patrick Maroon.