NEWARK — The Washington Capitals placed on a clinic within the second interval Monday evening at Prudential Heart, filling up the rating sheet with 4 targets towards the overwhelmed New Jersey Devils.
Washington
Dominant second period carries the Capitals to a victory in New Jersey
Nonetheless, the Capitals (4-3-0) virtually let this one slip away within the last body.
With Washington up 5-1, New Jersey (3-3-0) scored twice — targets by Tomas Tatar and Jesper Bratt — to chop the Capitals’ lead in half. Gaining confidence, the Devils stored making use of strain, and Capitals Coach Peter Laviolette needed to name a timeout after Bratt’s aim to settle his staff.
It labored. With lower than 5 minutes left, Aliaksei Protas gave the Capitals some respiratory room with the staff’s sixth aim on an odd-man rush with Anthony Mantha. It was the 21-year-old’s first of the season.
Getting a lift from backup goalie Charlie Lindgren with 38 saves, Washington held off New Jersey’s last push and earned its second win in a row. It was Lindgren’s first win with Washington in his second look.
“Chuckie at the moment was unstoppable,” captain Alex Ovechkin stated.
Garnet Hathaway began the second-period surge at 9:16 with a shot from the left circle that put the Capitals up 2-1. It was his first aim of the season and the fourth line’s second of the sport.
Conor Sheary doubled the lead with a shorthanded tally off a brutal Devils giveaway 47 seconds later. Ovechkin then bought in on the enjoyable, scoring a power-play aim from his signature spot within the left circle at 17:14, earlier than defenseman Nick Jensen added the Capitals’ fifth aim 33 seconds later with a shot from the purpose that hit the put up and went in.
“It was type of a snowball impact,” stated Sheary, with 4 targets the Capitals’ main scorer. “… We’re getting [scoring] all all through our lineup. Our high line and our energy play is scoring. Our fourth line is scoring. Every time you will get that secondary scoring, it’s at all times going that will help you win.”
Ovechkin’s aim was his third of the season and the 783rd of his profession. He’s 19 targets from passing Gordie Howe for second on the NHL’s all-time listing. Monday’s aim additionally was the 122nd game-winner of his profession, pushing him previous Howe for second on that all-time listing. Jaromir Jagr is first with 135.
“It’s fairly cool to be within the firm to cross these legends,” Ovechkin stated. “It’s a fairly cool second.”
Devils goalie Mackenzie Blackwood allowed 5 targets on 18 photographs; he was pulled in favor of former Capitals netminder Vitek Vanecek (three saves) to start out the third interval.
The sport was pretty even within the first 20 minutes. Nathan Bastian discovered his personal rebound at 4:49 to present the Devils the lead. The Capitals’ Nic Dowd tied it at 10:46 on a snap shot from the proper trip. Beck Malenstyn, making his season debut, gave Dowd a pointy feed from behind the online for the first help. It was Dowd’s second aim in as many video games.
Lars Eller and Dylan Strome added two assists apiece. John Marino had two helpers for New Jersey.
Washington continues a stretch of 4 video games away from dwelling with a Thursday evening go to to the Dallas Stars.
Right here’s what else to know concerning the Capitals’ win:
Malenstyn was recalled from the American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears final week when winger Connor Brown suffered a long-term lower-body damage. Malenstyn had one aim in 12 video games for Washington final season as a rookie however spent many of the yr with Hershey, notching 10 targets and 6 assists in 65 video games.
The 24-year-old was in Monday’s lineup over winger Joe Snively, who has appeared in two video games this season. Snively bought 8:16 of ice time in Saturday’s win over Los Angeles and recorded two photographs on aim.
Laviolette stated earlier than the sport that Malenstyn “matches the mould” of the fourth-line winger that Washington wanted and that it was time to present him an opportunity. Malenstyn’s help on Dowd’s aim was his first within the NHL. He appeared to mesh properly on the fourth line with Dowd and Hathaway, along with his physicality a welcome asset towards the younger, speedy Devils.
“It’s virtually like that function is constructed for him,” Laviolette stated after the win. “That’s his recreation. He’s a checker, he’s a defender, and he can chip in offensively. He did all the things that we requested him to do.”
Heart Connor McMichael once more was a wholesome scratch, elevating additional questions on whether or not the 21-year-old can be higher served enjoying 20-plus minutes per recreation for Hershey. Laviolette addressed that Monday morning.
“There have been instances the place I assumed he seemed actually good — a few of these video games had been at middle,” Laviolette stated. “There’s instances after I assume younger gamers must proceed to work on their recreation. … He’s child who works arduous every single day. When we’ve used him, he’s performed properly.”
The 2019 first-round choose has appeared in only one recreation this season, skating 8:33 in Thursday’s loss at Ottawa.
Monday was the primary time Vanecek confronted his former teammates. Washington traded Vanecek and a draft choose to the Devils in July for a pair of picks. New Jersey then signed him to a three-year, $10.2 million contract. The 26-year-old had been a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.
Drafted within the second spherical in 2014, Vanecek posted a 41-22-10 document with the Capitals. Each he and Ilya Samsonov exited within the offseason when the Capitals determined to start out over in aim, signing starter Darcy Kuemper and Lindgren to exchange them.
With the Devils, Vanecek is serving in a backup function to Blackwood and had performed in a single recreation earlier than Monday’s third-period look. He stated he bought an opportunity to meet up with Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary on Sunday evening, after they dined at a steakhouse.