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Capitals vs Devils live blog and updates (Oct. 24, 2022)

By Ian Oland

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October 24, 2022 6:59 pm

This is your place to check for updates and comment along with the Capitals vs. Devils game on October 24, 2022.

The Washington Capitals will take on the New Jersey Devils Monday for the first time this season. And it could prove to be a difficult and important game. The Devils are young, developing, and hungry. After starting the season 0-2, the Devils have won three consecutive games.

What to look for? Charlie Lindgren will get the net for the second time this season. In his first game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Lindgren was sensational and was all over the crease to make saves. His new Capitals teammates said he was a big competitor and they weren’t wrong.

Alex Ovechkin has only scored a goal in one game out of six this season — a two-spot against the Bruce Boudreau-led Vancouver Canucks; he only has points in two of six. The first line isn’t jamming or gelling yet. Will Dylan Strome centering the first line help thaw that cold spell?

The Capitals were shut out in the first two periods before putting a four-spot on the Kings and winning Saturday. This team isn’t playing full 60-minute games despite being made almost entirely of veteran players. That’s not going to cut it against the upstar Devils.

Beck Malenstyn is making his season debut on the fourth line.

Sadly, I am here to inform you that former Capital Vitek Vanecek will not be starting for the Devils. Mackenzie Blackwood, who was the NHL’s third start of the week last week, will get another start in net.

Tonight’s game is on NBC Sports Washington. Puck drop is a little after 7 pm. See you then?

Pregame links

Lines

1st Period

The Capitals started the third-line — Protas-Eller-Mantha — along with the second defense pairing of Fehervary-Jensen. Alex Ovechkin is stopped on a breakaway by Blackwood after being sprung by Conor Sheary in the defensive zone.

🚨 1-0 Devils. NJ’s makeshift fourth line (they are playing 7D tonight) got on the board first after overpowering the Caps’ fourth line in front of the net. Nathan Bastian tapped in a loose puck from just outside the crease. John Marino and Michael McLeod were credited with the assists. The goal came 4:49 into the first period. (Video)

🚨 1-1. The Caps’ fourth line got their goal back. Nic Dowd scored from the right circle with Blackwood sleeping. Beck Malenstyn found Dowd with the pass from behind the net. It’s his first NHL assist. The goal came at the 10:46 mark of the first period. (Video)

The Capitals’ first line had several great chances but could not score. Some over-passing, some good saves by Blackwood, and some bad misses of the net.

The Devils led the Capitals in shots on goals 13-7 and in 5v5 shot attempts 16-14.

2nd Period

The Devils are dominating the Capitals. Andddd.

🚨 2-1 Capitals. Garnet Hathaway jumped off the bench and scored a goal on the rush to give the Caps the lead. He scored while slamming into a Devils defender and falling to the ice.

🚨 3-1 Capitals. Conor Sheary scored shorthanded. He ripped off a Devils cross-ice pass and tallied on a breakaway.

🚨 4-1 Capitals. Alex Ovechkin scored his 783rd career goal with a rocket from his office on the PP.

🚨 5-1 Capitals. Nick Jensen found the back of the net with point shot after getting a great screen in front.

The Devils were destroying the Capitals this period in shots and possession but the Capitals went into — as Joe Beninati said — “can’t-miss mode” and made this one a laugher. The Caps scored four goals in the period – two at 5v5, 1 shorthanded, and 1 on the PP. This young Devils team still struggles away from the puck and it showed.

The Devils lead the Capitals in shots 27-18 and 5v5 shot attempts 33-25. The Devils had five high-danger chances at 5v5 in the period to the Capitals’ one.

3rd Period

Vitek Vanecek is now in net for the Devils in the third period.

🚨 5-2 Capitals. Tomas Tatar out-muscled Martin Fehervary for a loose puck in front of the net for the put away.

🚨 5-3 Capitals. Jesper Bratt scored on a broken play. As Trevor van Riemsdyk dived to break up the play, he kind of pushed the puck past Charlie Lindgren’s pads. This is a game again.

🚨 6-3 Capitals. Aliaksei Protas with a strong take to the net after a great saucer pass from Anthony Mantha on a 2-on-1. Protas deked Vanecek for the layup goal on his backhand.

The Capitals won big, but the underlying stats here are not kind. The Devils out-shot the Capitals 40-22 (!!!) and out-attempted the Capitals 52-31 at 5v5. The Capitals connected on some decent chances, but it’s hard to say they played “good” here. Let’s enjoy tonight, but this team needs to be better than this.

Postgame Links

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