The New Jersey Devils (2-1-0) will visit the national’s capitol on Saturday night to take on the Washington Capitals (0-0-0), for their first true away game of the season. The Devils are technically 1-0-0 on the road, as they were designated as the away team for one of the games that were played in the 2024 Global Series to begin the season. The Capitals are opening their season tonight in front of a home crowd.
Match Overview
The Devils are looking to rebound from a 4-2 defeat at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night. In that game, the team got down early before putting the pressure on while trying to mount a comeback.
New Jersey looked sluggish and out of sorts to begin that game. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom let in a few goals that he sure would like to have back, while the team had several defensive lapses that allowed the Leafs to capitalize on their opportunities. It was not the start the team wanted in their home opener, and it is a safe bet that they will look to rebound.
Looking forward to tonight, the Devils have relied heavily on their second line of Tomas Tatar, Nico Hischier, and Dawson Mercer to provide jolts of offensive opportunities while playing a sound two-way game. The trio has started nearly every period so far and has been out in crucial situations to help set the tone.
Similarly, the star-studded top line of Timo Meier, Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt has struggled to convert at the ferocious rate that they are generating. Meier has found the back of the net so far this season, scoring twice at even strength while Bratt converted on the power play on Thursday for his first of the season. Hughes has two assists through his three games played. This line is starting to click; it’s only a matter of time before they start lighting the lamp on a regular basis.
The Capitals have not yet played a game this season, but went 3-3-0 in the preseason. They’ll be coming out well rested after having the last week off, and energized by the festivities leading up to puck drop in their home opener.
Projected Lines
New Jersey Devils
Forwards
Meier – Hughes – Bratt
Tatar – Hischier – Mercer
Palat – Haula – Noesen
Cotter – Lazar – Bastian
Defensemen
Dillon – Hamilton
Siegenthaler – Kovacevic
Nemec – Casey
Goaltenders
Markstrom
Allen
Washington Capitals
Forwards
Ovechkin – Strome – Mangiapane
McMichael – Dubois – Wilson
Milano – Lapierre – Protas
Duhaime – Dowd – Raddysh
Defensemen
Chychrun – Carlson
Fehervary – Roy
Sandin – Van Riemsdyk
Goaltenders
Lindgren
Thompson
What to Watch For
Penalty Kill
The New Jersey penalty kill has been perfect so far this season, boasting a 100% success rate through three games. Not only have they looked very sharp and effective while defending down a man, they have also created their share of offensive opportunities as well. Bratt and Mercer have been two of the Devils biggest workhorses on the penalty kill, and have generated shorthanded opportunities on multiple occasions throughout the first three contests.
Dougie Hamilton
Hamilton put four shots on goal in Thursday’s contest, which was second to only Meier’s five shots. He was blasting away, and his defensive partner Brenden Dillon just kept feeding him the puck. Several shots were blocked or missed the mark, but Dougie is looking like his old self again after missing almost 60 games last season with a torn pectoral muscle. When Hamilton starts hitting the back of the net, the hope is that he can help kickstart the Devils power play which has posted just an 18.2% success rate so far.
Not only has Dougie been making his presence felt in the offensive end, but his defensive game has also improved. Thursday night alone, he was credited with six blocked shots. His physicality has increased, laying four hits in the last contest. The Dillon and Hamilton pairing has been solid all around, and it’s only a matter of time before the puck starts finding the back of the net for Dougie.
Physicality
It’s no secret that the Devils went out this offseason looking to add some sandpaper to their lineup. That newfound grit has made their presence felt over the last two games, posting 31 hits on Thursday night and 25 hits in the second game of the NHL Global Series contests against Buffalo.
Of course, hits do not always positively correlate to winning, as we saw in the game against Toronto. However, the team is certainly not being pushed around this year.
Where to Watch
Tonight’s game will be broadcast on MSG and MNMT, with puck drop set for 7:00 pm ET at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. ESPN+ will carry streams for both teams, for those who are out of market.