The Devils still have no answer for Washington. And Thursday night, the Capitals had all the answers.
Alex Ovechkin and Co. responded to New Jersey goals in less than two minutes on three separate occasions, raising their 2021 record against the Devils to 4-0-1 with a 4-3 victory at Capital One Arena.
Evgeny Kuznetsov got the game-winner with 7:54 to play, just 62 seconds after Jesper Bratt had tied the game at 3. The goal was Kuznetsov's second of the game, and it appeared to ricochet into the net off of New Jersey defenseman Damon Severson.
Call-and-response was the theme from the outset. Nicholas Merkley opened the scoring just 1:23 into the game, turning a botched clear by Capitals netminder Vitek Vanecek into his second goal of the season.
One minute, 47 seconds later, Dmitry Orlov tied it up for Washington.
Miles Wood's 10th goal of the season put New Jersey on top 6:20 into the second period. The lead lasted all of 55 seconds, before Ovechkin lit the lamp for the eighth time in nine games, bringing his all-time goal total to 721.
“We know that the guy that we really don’t want shooting the puck is Ovechkin,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said before the game.
Ruff had been speaking of trying to control "The Great 8" on the penalty kill, which New Jersey (12-15-4) was able to do on both Washington power plays.
Bratt's goal came with the man advantage, giving the Devils their second straight game with a power-play tally and extending his point-scoring streak to six games.
