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Matchup Overview
The Devils avoided a season sweep against one division rival earlier this week…can they avoid another? New Jersey is winless (0-2-1) against the juggernaut that the Washington Capitals have become this year. They were the first team to clinch a playoff berth, and already secured first place finishes in the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference with ten games left. This is who the Devils will more than likely face during the first round in the unlikely event they surpass all odds and miraculously leap into the playoffs. It makes you wonder how worthwhile it would truly be for the Devils to, at this point try and make that run. Despite the stiff competition, the Devils are looking to win their third consecutive matchup this week and see how long they can ride the momentous start rookie goaltender Scott Wedgewood has had to his NHL career. This will be the 23-year old goaltender’s toughest challenge yet after standing strong against the Blue Jackets and Pittsburgh Penguins. The Devils have played relatively well as of late, going 5-2-0 in their last seven contests. This does of course pale in comparison to Washington’s entire March performance, during which they’ve gone 7-2-2 in 11 games this month. The Capitals are expected to play without TJ Oshie (flu) tonight, who stayed behind in Washington. His absence from the Capitals lineup clearly pales in comparison to the barrage of injuries the Devils are faced with not just up front, but throughout their entire roster – you know the names.
Braden Holtby is very close to breaking one of Martin Brodeur’s regular season records. -Getty Images
A looming concern amongst Devils fans is the play of Capitals net minder Brayden Holtby, who enters tonight with a 44-9-4 record. With ten games remaining, Holtby is only four games from tying Martin Brodeur’s regular season wins record (48) that he set in the 2006-2007 season. While Holtby is mathematically on pace to eclipse (and surpass) a 48-win season, the Devils should have it in the back of their minds that they could prevent themselves from being just a mere stepping stone in Washington’s pursuit of helping Holtby attain those numbers. New Jersey is going to have their hands full against the usual suspects when they play the Capitals – Ovechkin, Backstrom, Kuznetsov, Williams, etc.…keep in mind this is just Washington’s offense we’re talking about. To compare the offenses of both teams would be like comparing gold to sidewalk concrete, and despite the recent signs of life New Jersey’s offense has shown this week, their track record against Washington has been an unsavory one. The Devils’ biggest issue has been their choppy play against the Caps in the third period, where Washington has outscored the Devils 6-4. This is another instance that reiterates New Jersey’s disproportionate scoring trend (for and against) that’s crippled them all season. Although the Devils have scored the majority of their goals this season in the first two periods, they’ve given up the majority of their goals in the game’s final two periods. It’s something I covered in one of the previous articles that’s evident in their season series against the league’s top team.
Who to watch
The Devils need to be vigilant about Washington’s depth players like defenseman Brooks Orpik. -Getty Images
Brooks Orpik…The 6’2” Capitals defender has no points in 11 games this month, only three goals, and nine points the whole season. That could change tonight for Orpik, who’s been a thorn in the Devils side. He has two goals and three points against New Jersey this year, scoring the game-winner the last time these two teams met in February. He can certainly fly under the radar tonight, since the Devils will likely be preoccupied with the aforementioned pieces of the Washington offensive arsenal for the majority of tonight’s game.
Travis Zajac…Along with his line mates Reid Boucher and Kyle Palmieri, the trio have played exceptionally well against Washington this year, all getting a goal and three points apiece. Zajac’s play has been on an upswing lately, getting six points in his last seven contests. His line has been very productive as of late with Travis spearheading the onslaught of their excelling play. They will certainly be a prime factor in tonight’s contest if it’s a game where the Devils stay close in.
What to watch
Milestone alerts…Last night, Kyle Palmieri scored his 28th and 29th goals of the year. He’s one goal shy of his first 30-goal season, which would make him the first Devil to hit that marker since 2011-2012. With four goals in his last three games, Palmieri’s confidence is clearly where it should be right now so you know he’s going to be hounding around the net tonight. In addition, Adam Henrique scored his 27th goal of the season last night (also a new career-high), and is within reach of the 30-goal milestone as well. Who’s to say he’s in store for an unprecedented multi-goal game tonight? Seeing two young Devils forwards reach (or finish close to) 30 goals would be a good silver lining to a disappointing second-half of the season.
Where to watch
MSG (Local)
CSN-DC (Washington DC)
When to watch
7:00pm EST