NEWARK, N.J. _ Devils' goalie Mackenzie Blackwood may have been the most impressive player on the ice for much of the game on Tuesday against the Washington Capitals, but he lost a handle on things in the second period and the mistakes proved costly.
And with a roster as thin as New Jersey's made even thinning with the loss of Kyle Palmieri early in the second period, the margin for error is thin. Ultimately, it was yet another game where a mostly inexperienced Devils team got some good experience and did some good things, but lost 4-1 on Tuesday at Prudential Center.
Kenny Agostino was the lone goal scorer for the Devils, tying the game at 1 with one second left in the first period. Blackwood stopped 18 of 22 shots, allowing three third-period goals.
Brett Connolly broke the tie 5:57 into the period when he walked right around Connor Carrick to tap in a pass by Christian Djoos.
At 12:16, Blackwood was caught off guard on a developing 2-on-1 when Evgeni Kuznetsov shot the puck instead of passing off. Just over a minute later on yet another odd-man rush by the Caps, this one led by Alexander Ovechkin, Blackwood got a piece of it but watched helplessly as it dribbled under his pad and gave the Capitals a 4-1 lead.
The Devils kept pace with the Capitals through much of the game but they ran out of gas in the second period, ending the frame without a shot on goal in the final seven minutes. Blackwood looked out of sorts in the third, leveling himself in an attempt to make a stick-save on a dump-in attempt by Wilson that went all the way to the goal. Damon Severson jumped into the crease to clear the puck off the doorstep but with time expiring in first period and Kevin Rooney screening Washington goalie Phoenix Copley, Agostino had a tight window and got through with a long shot from the high slot through traffic. Agostino's goal was his fourth with his hometown team and his 21st point since arriving as a waiver claim from Montreal.
Andre Burakovsky put Washington up early when he roofed one from the left circle. The puck went through the legs of Eric Tangradi and high up over the shoulder of Blackwood 2:52 into play.
Palmieri was hit by Nick Jensen at 4:35 into the first period and did not return. The winger only recently came back from a lower-body injury after missing four games. The Devils are still without Jesper Bratt, Pavel Zacha, Miles Wood, Mirco Mueller, Nico Hischier, Nathan Bastian and Taylor Hall who has missed 39 games on injured reserve.
