NEWARK, N.J. — When the Blue Jackets reached the dressing room after Sunday’s 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils, coach John Tortorella delivered a speech that was mostly a reminder.

The Blue Jackets reached 100 points in the standings and clinched the third postseason appearance in franchise history with the victory, but it was celebrated as just the next step for an organization trying to raise its standards.

“It’s a great feeling, and it’s well-deserved,” said left wing Matt Calvert, the longest-tenured Blue Jackets player. “Guys have worked hard all year.

“Torts said it at the end of the game: It’s just the start of things for us, the start of our new road. We have to finish off the regular season hard and get ready for the playoffs.”

Boone Jenner had two goals to lead the Blue Jackets, while Lukas Sedlak and Brandon Dubinsky each scored penalty-shot goals — only the third time in NHL history that a club has scored two penalty-shot goals in the same game.

Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky had 35 saves for his league-leading 39th victory, leading the Blue Jackets to their fourth straight win, and seventh in eight games.

It kept them in a dead heat with Washington (100 points) for first place in the Metropolitan Division and the overall NHL lead.

But the biggest issue Sunday was the Blue Jackets' first playoff spot since the 2013-14 season.

Gentlemen, start your beards.

“Right from the get-go, in the summertime, we set the tone and we worked our (butts) off in training camp and the start of the season to get where we’re at,” Dubinsky said. “It’s one steppingstone. We have a lot ahead of us, still here in the regular season and once we get into the playoffs.

“We’re excited right now. We’re going to enjoy this tonight and tomorrow, then get back to work and continue to climb the ladder.”

The Blue Jackets scored two short-handed goals in the first 10:23 of the first period to take a 2-0 lead against the Devils.

Jenner assisted on the first one, jarring the puck loose to spring Sedlak on a breakaway before he was hauled down and awarded a penalty shot, which Sedlak buried.

Jenner scored the second shorty on his own with a monster shift in the Devils’ zone. After taking a beating to pin the puck deep in New Jersey’s zone, Jenner pounced on a rebound off a Jack Johnson shot and fired it into the net off goaltender Cory Schneider.

“Jens was tenacious,” Tortorella said. “He deserved to score that empty goal late, with the work he’s done.”

The Blue Jackets were awarded another penalty shot early in the second when Josh Anderson was dragged down by Devils defenseman Dalton Prout.

Anderson came up gimpy on the play, heading to the dressing room for a check and allowing Tortorella to select another player on the ice to take the shot.

Dubinsky buried it, giving the Jackets a 3-1 lead at 6:28 of the second.

Jenner's empty-net goal came with 1:57 remaining.

“I saw Dubi and Jens just staring at me on the bench,” Tortorella said. “I had to pick one of them. Dubi gets the chances. It’s a big goal.”

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