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The New Jersey Devils have a chance of ending February still above 50% in points percentage. To do so, they will need to do something they did not do yet this season: get points against the Washington Capitals.
The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils vs. the Washington Capitals (SBN Blog: Japers’ Rink)
The Time: 3:00 PM ET
The Broadcasts: TV - MSG, NBCSWA; Digital Audio - The Devils Hockey Network (Radio.com)
The Last Devils-Capitals Game: Yesterday, the Devils hosted the Capitals for the first time this season. Unlike their previous three games, the Devils did not start the game well at all. They were beaten in the run of play and on the scoreboard by the Capitals in the first period. Washington went up early with goals by Garnet Hathaway, Daniel Sprong, and Lars Eller within the first 14 minutes. Hardly the names you would have expected from the Capitals, but that only underscored how poor the start was. However, a lifeline was provided by team captain Nico Hischier with a power play goal (!) late in the first. In a much stingier second period, the Devils performed better and clawed even closer to evening up the game. Pavel Zacha continued his torrid streak of production with a goal to make it 2-3 in the second period. The Devils turned up the pressure in the third period in looking for an equalizer. But Washington would blow the game wide open when Jakub Vrana blew by in between two Devils skaters and beat Mackenzie Blackwood - who faced his first shot in a long, long time at that point - to make it 2-4. It ended up being a backbreaker for New Jersey. The Devils tried to get back into it, but to no avail. A late third period power play was a good opportunity in theory, but it ended with Hischier taking a deflected shot to the face and Kyle Palmieri taking a penalty. While that was killed, Carl Hagelin and Nic Dowd forced a zone exit against six Devils skaters late and Dowd iced the game with an empty net goal. The Devils lost 2-5 to Washington. Devin recapped the game here at All About the Jersey. For the other side, Bryan H. Stabbe wrote this recap at Japers’ Rink.