Capitals at Devils
Martin Brodeur has been among the league's elite goaltenders almost from the minute he entered the NHL - and the 40-year-old veteran appears intent on turning back the clock. Coming off a 24-save effort in his 120th career shutout, Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils will look to remain perfect on the young season when they host the bedraggled Washington Capitals on Friday night. New Jersey is seeking to open a season with three straight wins for the first time since the 2002-03 campaign. That's also the last time the Devils hoisted the Stanley Cup.
The honeymoon period is already over for new Capitals head coach Adam Oates, who saw his team booed off the ice for the second straight game at the end of Thursday's 4-1 home loss to Montreal. Washington dropped to 0-3-0 - its worst start since the 1993-94 season - and is the only team in the league that has yet to register a point. The Capitals have been outscored 14-6 in the woeful start. ''Embarrassing is almost the right term right now," Capitals right wing Troy Brouwer said. "Pathetic is probably a better one."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSMA (Washington), MSG (New Jersey)
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (0-3-0): The experiment to move two-time league MVP Alex Ovechkin to right wing could be over. Held without a point so far, Ovechkin was back at left wing in the third period of Thursday's debacle. Oates opted to give Michal Neuvirth his first start in net, but the Canadiens scored four times on 11 shots in the second period. “I think it’s embarrassing the way we played,” Nicklas Backstrom told the Washington Post. “We’ve really got to regroup and talk about this and play the way we should.”
ABOUT THE DEVILS (2-0-0): Even though New Jersey has allowed only one goal, coach Peter DeBoer may have a few alterations for the Capitals. During Thursday's practice, former first-round pick Mattias Tedenby was elevated to the No. 1 line while Dainius Zubrus was shifted to the second line. LW Ilya Kovalchuk, who has a goal and two assists, is looking forward to facing compatriot Ovechkin. “It’s always good to play against the best,” Kovalchuk told the team's official website. “They’re struggling a little bit right now. They’ll be desperate, so it’s fun."
OVERTIME
1. Brodeur had allowed 14 goals in his last four starts against the Capitals.
2. Washington has already surrendered seven power-play goals in 18 chances.
3. The Devils won three of the four meetings last season - two in shootouts.