The New Jersey Devils left Capital One Arena with a 4-2 loss to the Washington Capitals on Saturday afternoon, a result that dropped the club to 4-4-0.
New Jersey got goals from Arseny Gritsyuk and Timo Meier, while Jake Allen stopped 21 of 25 shots. The teams are scheduled to meet again on Nov. 12, 2026.
Gritsyuk got the Devils started at 10:04 of the first period, scoring one second after New Jersey’s power play had expired. Dawson Mercer and Stefan Noesen set up the goal, and both players extended their point streaks to three games.
Washington answered before the opening period ended, tying the game on the power play when Ryan Leonard’s wrist shot beat Allen. Logan Thompson, the Capitals’ goalie, earned an assist on the play.
The Capitals pulled ahead early in the second period. Just a little more than a minute into the frame, Ilya Protas scored his first goal of the 2026-27 season. On the play, Alex Ovechkin picked up his 93rd career point against New Jersey.
Washington kept pushing and made it 3-1 less than five minutes into the second when Dylan Strome scored, with Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou collecting the assists. Boone Jenner then added another goal to stretch the lead to 4-1 after 40 minutes.
New Jersey had its best push late. The Devils outshot Washington 17-5 in the third period and capitalized on a power play in the final minute of regulation.
Meier scored his first goal of the season, and Gritsyuk recorded his second point of the afternoon. After the final horn, Thompson was credited with his fifth career win over the Devils.
The Devils played without Luke Evangelista, who was out with an illness, and Connor Brown, who was sidelined by a lower-body injury. Brenden Dillon was a healthy scratch for the third straight game.
New Jersey now returns home for a three-game homestand against the Anaheim Ducks, Colorado Avalanche, and Los Angeles Kings. After that, the schedule toughens again with a road swing the following week against the Dallas Stars, Avalanche, and Vegas Golden Knights.
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Mike Sullivan and the Rangers leadership group have stressed the need to stay focused and lean on the teams identity, but the margin for error is thinner now. For a club trying to hold its place in the race, the question is no longer just how they respond to losing their No. 1 goalie, but whether the rest of the roster can steady things long enough to survive the disruption. [Read more 🡒]