Leafs 6

Devils 3

The GM with the lousy 2-5 record as interim coach has seen the light, or rather the darkness. Lou Lamoriello is taking the blame for his Devils, who can expect to see a few changes in 2006.

They appropriately capped their dismal 2005 last night with a 6-3 loss to the Maple Leafs at the Meadowlands. The Devils are asking a lot if they think that Patrik Elias and a new coach can somehow make the new year much better.

“Some players are not doing what their role is, and some players are trying to pick up the slack. I take responsibility for that as GM,” Lamoriello said. “This has nothing to do with coaching right now. We have some players not performing up to their [capacities].

“I’m not putting this on the coaching part of it. I’m putting it on the general manager part of it.”

Elias may be in action when the Devils next play on Tuesday, but with the Devils’ 2005 record of 16-18-5, he’ll have to be a veritable savior.

“It was a bad 2005 for the Devils, and a lot of people around the league are loving it right now,” said Scott Gomez, who has scored New Jersey’s last five goals, including his second career hat trick last night.

“Wash 2005 away,” said Gomez, who opened the scoring 3:44 into play, left alone in front by Tomas Kaberle as Zach Parise centered from the left boards on a rush.

The Devils’ power play had shown signs of revival, going 4 for 18 in their previous two games after a 4-for-100 stretch, but it gave up a short-hander by Mats Sundin that tied the game at 9:02 of the first.

Paul Martin was trapped deep as Sundin carried two-on-one up the right wing. Brian Rafalski gave Sundin room until he was in the right circle, where he wristed a shot over Martin Brodeur’s glove for his ninth goal. It was the third short-hander allowed by New Jersey this season, and the first since Nov. 1.

Gomez put the Devils back in front with a penalty shot 1:27 into second, awarded after Ken Klee hooked him on a breakaway. Gomez’s first career penalty shot went over Eddie Belfour’s stick off his arm, the first successful penalty shot by a Devil since Elias’ on March 10, 2000.

Prosperity quickly vanished, though, as the Leafs scored twice in a span of 21 seconds and added two more before the second period was finished.

Mariusz Czerkawski evaded David Hale to tie the score on Clarke Wilm’s rebound, and Darcy Tucker put Toronto into the lead by darting behind Colin White to convert Jeff O’Neill’s feed from the right wing at 7:47. O’Neill followed with a power-play rebound goal, and Tomas Kaberle made it 5-2 in the Leafs’ favor when his point shot was deflected in front at 14:06 of the second.

Rookie Cam Janssen fought Wade Belak in the first period but took a double minor in the second after slamming Aki Berg in the open ice, compounded with unsportsmanlike conduct.

John Pohl scored his first NHL goal by swatting in Tucker’s 5-on-3 rebound at 4:35 of the third, the Leafs’ fifth unanswered tally. Gomez completed his hat trick with a PPG at 7:48 for his 14th of the season.

“It doesn’t mean anything,” Gomez lamented afterward. “All of us are embarrassed right now.”

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U.S. junior team coach Walt Kyle is now being touted as a possibility for the Devils’ coaching job.

Judging from unsolicited endorsements of his “leadership” from teammates, some of whom have never played with him, Patrik Elias may yet be named Devils captain after he makes his comeback from hepatitis. The Devils have gone with three alternate captains this season, Brian Rafalski, Colin White and John Madden, and one would lose his “A”.

mark.everson@nypost.com