The Washington Capitals are back in action to take on the New Jersey Devils at Capital One Arena tonight.
The Capitals enter the evening coming off a fun 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Overall the team is 2-6-2 in their last 10, but have arguably played some of their best and most consistent hockey of the season over the last five games. You may hear that tonight’s game is crucial and big because the Devils are four points in front of the Capitals in the Metropolitan Division standings, but just be aware: Money Puck has the Caps’ odds of making the playoffs this season at 3.4 percent. And the Caps have the fifth hardest remaining schedule in the league. You can have hope, but let it be a reasonable amount of hope.
The Capitals will see Trevor van Riemsdyk jump up into the top pairing with John Carlson as Martin Fehervary is out week-to-week. Ethan Bear will return to the lineup. Charlie Lindgren will start in net.
Tonight’s game is airing locally on Monumental Sports Network. Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin have the call. Puck drop is shortly after 7 pm. The Capitals are wearing their navy blue W jerseys.
Lines
Washington Capitals
Capitals scratches: Alex Alexeyev and Nicolas Aube-Kubel.
New Jersey Devils
Tunnel weirdness
SONSHINE [at home]#ALLCAPS | @CaesarsSports pic.twitter.com/XMOa54UmsB
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 20, 2024
1st Period
Charlie Lindgren will oppose Nico Dawes in net. Protas-McMichael-Mantha and Sandin-Jensen get the start.
LADIES AND GENTS. WE HAVE A CAPS’ GOAL ON THE FIRST SHIFT.
🚨 1-0 Capitals. Connor McMichael scores on a juicy Nico Daws rebound 38 seconds into the game. Rasmus Sandin joined the rush and hit Aliaksei Protas for the shot to the far pad. McMike’s now got 4 goals in 7 career games against the Devils. He now has nine goals on the season.
Charlie Lindgren with a pad save to the far side of the net that saves a goal.
The Capitals have been activating one of their defensemen on rushes and it’s giving the Devils fits. Both Max Pacioretty and Michael Sgarbossa nearly scored on rushes down the ice.
🚨 1-1 tie. TJ Oshie has the puck stripped from him in the defensive zone by Simon Nemec. The Czech forward then hits Alexander Holtz for a one-timer at the far post. Joel Edmundson had the pass go through his legs and he didn’t tie up Holtz. That’s two lost battles from two veteran Capitals players. You hate to see it. Time of goal 15:06.
Capitals started great but the Devils clawed back late. New Jersey is outshooting Washington 10 to 8 and out-attempting them 26 to 18 at five-on-five.
2nd Period
Puck is dropped.
TJ Oshie takes a tripping minor on Dawson Mercer at 1:47 of the period.
🚨 2-1 Capitals. Connor McMichael with some stickhandling wizardry after New Jersey’s power play expires. Highlight reel worthy! It’s his first career multi-goal game. Time of goal 4:17. McMichael now has four goals in four games against New Jersey this season and five in seven in his career against the Devs.
Alex Ovechkin to the box for tripping Tomas Nosek at 10:38.
Huge saves by Charlie Lindgren as the Devils pound shot-after-shot on net on the resulting power play. Devils spent almost the entire power play in the Capitals’ zone.
Devils are outshooting the Capitals 27 to 15 and out-attempting them at five-on-five, 42 to 31.
3rd Period
Puck is dropped.
🚨 3-1 Capitals. Dylan Strome with a huge insurance goal — his 21st of the season. Alex Ovechkin and Sonny Milano with the assists. Time of goal 4:10. Strome is on pace for 31 goals this season.
🚨 4-1 Capitals. Alex Ovechkin scores right off a faceoff for his 837th career goal. The Caps are rolling. Time of goal 8:44.
🚨 5-1 Capitals. A SCOARbossa from Mike Sgarbossa! John Carlson finds Sgarbossa wide open in front of the net for the Hershey legend’s first goal in the NHL since December 17, 2021 against Winnipeg.
🚨 5-2 Capitals. The Devils’ Erik Huala scores on his backhand via a breakaway. No chance for Lindgren.
🚨 6-2 Capitals. OVIx2. He scores his 838th career goal on the doorstep during a late third period power play.
Caps win 6-2. The Devils outshot the Capitals 39 to 26 and out-attempted them 57 to 53 at five-on-five.
Read the RMNB recap.
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