7:07 pm
March 9

Devils @ Capitals

Who will WIN this matchup?

New Jersey Devils (8-11-2)

@ Washington Capitals (14-6-4)

 

Starting Goalies:

Scott Wedgewood (NJ): Confirmed

Vitek Vanecek (WSH):  Confirmed

 

Current odds:

New Jersey Devils: (+170)

Washington Capitals: (-190)

 

• The Washington Capitals are riding high on a sizzling 6-1-1 stretch, with three of those victories coming at the expense of the New Jersey Devils The Capitals aim to continue their mastery of the Devils on Tuesday when the teams reconvene in Washington, D.C.

• Ilya Samsonov made 36 saves Sunday night in the Capitals’ 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. The 24-year-old Russian was making his second start since returning from the NHL COVID-19 protocol list, with the first being a 19-save performance in a 3-2 victory over New Jersey on Feb. 28. Samsonov sports a 3-0-1 record with a 2.53 goals-against average and .910 save percentage in four career meetings with the Devils.

• Captain Alex Ovechkin scored his eighth goal of the season and 714th career on Sunday to move within four of passing Hall of Famer Phil Esposito for sole possession of sixth place in NHL history. Ovechkin has tallied twice against New Jersey this season, boosting his totals to 32 goals and 66 points in 60 career encounters with the Devils.

• Defenseman Dmitry Orlov scored with 16 seconds remaining in the second period on Sunday and Nick Jensen added a third-period goal to help Washington complete a 4-1-0 road trip.

• The Devils also are likely feeling better about themselves after snapping a five-game losing skid Sunday with a 1-0 win over the Boston Bruins.

• Kyle Palmieri scored his first goal since Feb. 20 after redirecting a shot from Pavel Zacha with 4:37 remaining in the third period. He said Saturday’s 6-3 loss to the New York Rangers prompted the reflection.

• Zacha has 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in his last 17 games, including three (one goal, two assists) in the three losses to Washington.

• Scott Wedgewood turned aside all 40 Boston shots he faced on Sunday while making a spot start for the Devils, who likely will turn back to Mackenzie Blackwood on Tuesday. Blackwood, who yielded five goals on 27 shots against the Rangers on Saturday, permitted seven tallies on 46 shots in consecutive losses to Washington on Feb. 27-28. The 24-year-old owns a 1-5-0 record with a 3.48 goals-against average and .878 save percentage in six career meetings with the Capitals.

6/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Washington Capitals
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