A third-period breakdown left the Devils reeling on Monday night as the Toronto Maple Leafs came from behind for a 4-2 victory at Air Canade Centre.

The Devils are winless in five straight (0-4-1) and are 1-5-2 in their last eight games.

With the Devils leading, 2-1, at the start of the third period, veteran winger Patrik Elias turned the puck over in his own end. He was pick-pocketed by Jay McClement in the circle to Johan Hedberg’s right. McClement put it through the goalie’s pads at the 39-second mark, the puck trickling in over the goal line.

Center Andrei Loktionov tripped Toronto’s Tyler Bozak behind the net at 7:17 and it was just as costly for the Devils.

Clarke MacArthur took a Nazem Kadri pass in front of the net and beat Hedberg at 7:25 as the Leafs regained the lead with a power-play goal.

It was over when defenseman Andy Greene was only player back for the Devils as James van Riemsdyk led a 2-on-1 rush. VanRiemsdyk, the Middletown native, fed Phil Kessel at the bottom of the right circle for the goal at 9:52.

The last two goals came 2:27 apart.

Defenseman Marek Zidlicky scored twice for the Devils. It was the sixth time in his NHL career that Zidlicky has scored two goals in a game. The previous was Jan. 19, 2009, for Minnesota against Chicago.

Travis Zajac hit the left post with a shot that would’ve tied the game at 4:42 of the second period. Referee Wes McCauley immediately waved it off as no goal.

The Zidlicky-Carter combination then turned the game around within a span of 5:35 when they combined for two goals.