3:07 pm
February 28

Capitals @ Devils

Who will WIN this matchup?

Washington Capitals (11-5-4)

@ New Jersey Devils (7-7-2)

 

Starting Goalies:

Vitek Vanecek (WSH): Unconfirmed

Aaron Dell (NJ): Unconfirmed

 

Current odds:

Washington Capitals: (-140)

New Jersey Devils: (+120)

 

• The New Jersey Devils will stand a better chance against the Washington Capitals on Sunday if they can put together a 60-minute game. The Devils needed little time to reflect on what went wrong in Saturday’s 5-2 loss to the Capitals, the first game of a two-day doubleheader and a five-game homestand.

• The Capitals jumped out to a 3-0 lead in 13 minutes, 40 seconds with goals from Garnet Hathaway, Daniel Sprong and Lars Eller. Nico Hischier and Pavel Zacha replied for the Devils before Jakub Vrana and Nic Dowd scored in the third to put the game away for the Caps.

• On the bright side, Zacha’s goal extended his scoring streak to nine games, the second-longest active streak in the NHL. Zajac, shouldering the blame for one goal, said the Devils need to play a tighter game, especially against high-octane offenses like the Capitals’.

• The Caps outshot the Devils 14-8 in the first period, but once the Devils collected themselves they held Washington to 10 shots through the final two periods.

• Defenseman John Carlson, who had two assists for the Capitals, admitted his team may have let up a little once it built the 3-0 lead.

• The Capitals, who kicked off a five-game road trip with the win, have to maintain their aggressive play, Carlson noted.

• The win was a signal to the team that the Capitals are finding their stride, said Eller, who scored the eventual game-winner. He particularly liked the way they started Saturday against the Devils and Thursday in a 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

5/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Washington Capitals
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