Devils at Capitals
The Washington Capitals are struggling to climb the ladder in the top-heavy Metropolitan primarily due to their puzzling performances against division representatives. With eight losses in 12 contests (4-5-3) versus Metro rivals, the Capitals look to remain in the thick of race on Thursday when they host the opener of a home-and-home series with the cellar-dwelling New Jersey Devils.
Captain Alex Ovechkin has scored a goal in back-to-back contests and looks to continue the surge versus the Devils, against whom he has accumulated 43 points (19 goals, 24 assists) in 41 career encounters. While Ovechkin is heating up, New Jersey is losing its cool after dropping both ends of a home-and-home versus Pittsburgh to plummet to 1-8-1 in its last 10. "I don't know what happened," workhorse goaltender Cory Schneider said following a 5-2 loss to the Penguins on Tuesday. "Again, a late goal in the second, 3-2, you would have thought the game was over. You would have thought it was 5-1 at that point. ... I just don't know. They get the next one and there's the game."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NHL.TV, NBCSN, CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington)
ABOUT THE DEVILS (13-15-7): Adam Henrique recorded his sixth goal and 12th point in 16 outings on Tuesday and joins PA Parenteau with two tallies and an assist in his last three games. New Jersey will need contributions from those two and more considering top-line forward Taylor Hall has been ruled out for Thursday's tilt with a lower-body injury not related to the arthroscopic knee surgery that sidelined him for eight contests in November. Fourth-liner Vernon Fiddler is out three-to-four weeks with a lower-body ailment, but fellow center Jacob Josefson (concussion) skated with the team for the second straight day on Wednesday and could be ready to return after a five-game absence.
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (20-9-4): Braden Holtby must've been in a giving mood following the Christmas break, as the reigning Vezina Trophy winner surrendered four goals for the first time since Nov. 26 in the loss to the Islanders. The 27-year-old looks to rebound versus a New Jersey club that he traditionally has owned to the tune of a 10-3-1 mark with a 1.99 goals-against average. Nicklas Backstrom, who has 25 points (six goals, 19 assists) in 34 tilts versus the Devils, has recorded six assists in his last nine contests to reside three shy of 500 for his career.
OVERTIME
1. Washington C Andre Burakovsky has collected two goals and an assist in his last three games after being held off the scoresheet in each of his previous seven contests.
2. New Jersey has permitted a power-play goal in three of its last four games.
3. The Devils recalled physical Luke Gadzic from Albany of the American Hockey League on Wednesday while the Capitals reassigned fellow F Zach Sanford to Hershey.