The Capitals’ quick road swing ends Thursday in Newark, where they open a home-and-home with the Devils after that odd 3-2 win in Ottawa on Tuesday.
Washington already has one win over New Jersey this season, a 4-2 result in D.C. on October 17. But the Devils are a different team now, mostly because of the move they made six days later, landing goaltender Connor Hellebucyk from the Winnipeg Jets.
Hellebucyk has settled in fast. Since arriving in New Jersey, he’s gone 5-0-0 with one shutout and a .913 save percentage. Against the Capitals over his career, he’s been even better, posting a .923 save percentage, an 8-5-2 record and two shutouts.
The Devils also have the kind of top-end offense that can tilt a game quickly. Jack Hughes has 26 points in 19 games, with nine goals, and he’s been a major problem for Washington in particular. Against the Caps, Hughes has 7 goals and 18 assists for 25 points, which is tied for second-most against any opponent he has faced.
Washington’s last trip to Prudential Center is one the Capitals would rather forget. On April 2, their slim playoff hopes basically disappeared in a lopsided 7-3 loss, with Jesper Bratt and Hughes each finishing with five points.
A lot has changed on both sides since then. Washington has added offense through players like Alex Tuch, who has 11 goals, Jordan Kyrou, who has 14 points, and Boone Jenner, who has 6 goals. New Jersey, meanwhile, made its big swing in goal.
For now, the standings show these teams right where many expected them to be in the Metro chase behind Carolina. The Devils are second at 13-6-0, while the Capitals sit fourth at 10-6-0, three wins back but with the same number of games in hand. Washington is also 3-2 on the road.
That road record matters here, because the Capitals have often had a harder time when they’re chasing games and trying to get reliable goaltending from behind. Getting out of the gate cleanly Thursday should matter.
These teams have played plenty of loose, high-scoring games in recent years, but Hellebucyk’s arrival could change that. Another 10-goal night like the last meeting in Newark feels a lot less likely now.
The series wraps up Saturday back down the Turnpike, and then there’s one more meeting left between the teams on January 24 in Newark. That one will be Alex Ovechkin’s final regular-season game in New Jersey.
In Other News...
Ovechkins Final Season Slump Is Becoming A Real Capitals Problem
Alex Ovechkins final NHL season has not started the way the Capitals hoped, and the numbers tell the story. Through 16 games, he has one goal and four points, and the 11-game goal drought has become a growing concern for a team that still leans on him in key moments. Even with Washington hanging around the playoff race in the Eastern Conference, his presence remains central to how the Capitals try to generate offense.
The bigger issue is not just the scoring slump, but how it fits into the rest of the lineup around him. Ovechkin is still a fixture on the power play, yet that unit is converting at 18.2 percent, leaving the Capitals searching for more from one of their most important weapons. With Washington still competitive, the question now is how much runway there is for the captain to find his rhythm before this stretch starts to weigh even more heavily on the season. [Read more 🡒]