{{pageModel.leagueAbbr}} {{pageModel.subtitle}} | Las Vegas Review-Journal
National Hockey League
New Jersey 5, Toronto 1
When: 7:00 PM ET, Saturday, April 9, 2016
Where: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
Referees: Ghislain Hebert, Frederic L'Ecuyer
Linesmen: Scott Cherrey, Ryan Gibbons
Attendance: 16514

NEWARK, N.J. -- In what may be the final game of his brilliant career with the New Jersey Devils, Patrik Elias went out in style.

Elias, who turns 40 on Wednesday, scored one goal and recorded two assists in New Jersey's 5-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday at the Prudential Center. He scored on a wrist shot with 16 seconds left.

Elias has played his entire 20-year NHL career with the Devils and is their all-time leader in goals (408), assists (617), points (1,025), power-play goals (113) and game-winning goals (80).

The two-time Stanley Cup champion will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and skated in only 16 games this season because of a knee injury that required surgery in January.

Elias skated at left wing on a line centered by fellow Czech Republic native Pavel Zacha, who registered two assists in his first NHL game. Zacha grew up idolizing Elias.

"It's a great opportunity for me to play with him (Elias)," Zacha said. "I never thought I'd be able to play with him. Hopefully it's not his last game but the last game of his season."

Elias said he won't make a commitment on his future until the summer.

"We could have scored a lot more goals with me and Pavel (Zacha) with the chances we had, but it could not have gone better,'' Elias said. "It was a fun night. I am sure it was a fun night for him (Zacha), for the whole team, the fans and me obviously."

"I'm going to go home and hang out with the girls. I don't know. I have to be honest if you asked me before I stepped on the ice I would be probably more than 50 percent sure that I am not coming back. But these three games I felt better than I anticipated. I don't have any issues after the game so we will see.

"I have to see after the summer, after the training, and talk to the right people, what they are thinking. We will make the decision all together, family, Ray (General Manager Shero) and the coaches."

The Devils also received two goals from Adam Henrique and one apiece from Kyle Palmieri and Devante Smith-Pelly. Henrique and Palmieri each finished with 30 goals to lead the Devils.

Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau scored for the Maple Leafs.

Devils goaltender Cory Schneider stopped 19 shots. Garret Sparks made 31 saves for the Maple Leafs.

The Maple Leafs (29-42-11) finished 30th among the 30 teams and 16th and last in the Eastern Conference with 69 points. New Jersey (38-36-8) placed 12th in the Eastern Conference with 84 points.

The three-time Stanley Cup champion Devils haven't qualified for the playoffs in four seasons after losing to Los Angeles in the Cup final in 2012.

It's been 49 years since Toronto won the Stanley Cup, the longest drought in the NHL. This season marks the 10th time in 11 years the Maple Leafs failed to make the playoffs. Toronto qualified in the shortened 2013 lockout season.

The Leafs have dressed one of the youngest lineups in the league since they purged their roster at the trade deadline. Tobias Lindberg, 20, recently became the 12th player to make his NHL debut for Toronto and 10th since the end of February.

"We're obviously pretty disappointed the way we finished," center Tyler Bozak said. "We played hard at the end of the season. "I thought all the young guys and the call-ups all played well.

"There's definitely a lot of excitement. It was fun to be a part of it and meet all the new guys, but it's going to be tough not knowing if you'll see guys you have been around every day next season."

Henrique scored twice within 10 minutes in the second period, giving the Devils a 3-1 lead. He tapped in a rebound off a shot from defenseman Adam Larsson 59 seconds into the period and scored on a wrist shot at 10:42

Smith-Pelley's first goal in nine games made it 1-1 for the Devils at 9:10 of the first period. He recorded seven goals in his first nine games for the Devils since coming over from Montreal in a trade deadline deal.

The Devils outshot the Maple Leafs 19-5 in the first period.

Parenteau scored his 20th for a 1-0 Toronto lead when he picked up the loose puck after center Brooks Laich's slap shot hit the right post and Schneider lost track of the puck at 2:53 of the first.

Toronto skated most of the game with five defensemen after Andrew Campbell left the ice early in the first period when he was checked hard near center ice by Steve Santini, who received a roughing penalty.

NOTES: Pavel Zacha, Steven Santini and Miles Wood made their NHL debuts for the Devils. Zacha, the sixth overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, recorded his first point on Devante Smith-Pelly's first period goal. Santini and Wood were both 2013 picks out of Boston College. ... The Devils reassigned forwards Blake Pietila and Mike Sislo and defenseman Vojtech Mozik to Albany of the American Hockey League. ... The Maple Leafs re-assigned F Kasperi Kapanen to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. ... Toronto C Leo Komarov returned after missing the previous 12 games with a lower-body injury. ... The Devils signed D Joshua Jacobs to a three-year, entry-level contract. The contract will begin with the 2016-17 season and he will report to the Albany Devils (AHL) on an Amateur Try-Out agreement. Jacobs, 20, was selected by New Jersey in the second round, 41st overall, in the 2014 NHL Draft. He finished this season when Sarnia of the Ontario Hockey League was eliminated from the playoffs Tuesday.
Top Game Performances
 
Toronto   New Jersey
P.A. Parenteau 1 Points Patrik Elias 3
P.A. Parenteau 1 Goals Adam Henrique 2
Andrew Campbell 1 Assists Patrik Elias 2
N/A Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Garret Sparks .886 Save Percentage Cory Schneider .950
Garret Sparks 31 Saves Cory Schneider 19
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Toronto 20 1 0-3 6-6 12 24
New Jersey 36 5 0-6 3-3 6 20