Game #15
Caps (8-2-4, 20 points) at New Jersey Devils (8-4, 16 points)
I’ve come to the conclusion that the Devils will never be bad. Ever. Almost every season they lose a few key free agents. None of their additions seem splashy or designed to impress. Goalie Martin Brodeur gets a year older. I always, always pick them to fade away and finally start a true rebuild. Yet at the end of the season they’re in the playoffs. And it’s not like they scrape by and grab a No. 8 seed. This team has won the Atlantic Division three of the last four years and finished second the other time. New Jersey has made the postseason 19 of the last 21 seasons and won three Stanley Cups during that stretch. It’s exactly the kind of longevity the Caps dream about with their young roster.
This year is no different. The Devils don’t really look like title contenders. But they have a nice record early on this year despite injuries to forwards Patrik Elias (groin) and Jay Pandolfo (shoulder) and defensemen Paul Martin (broken arm) and Johnny Oduya (lower-body injury). Elias – the Devils’ top scorer last season with 78 points – has yet to play a game this year, but is due back soon. Even with the three Stanley Cups, this has to be the most underrated organization in pro sports. I’d love to hear some other candidates.
Anyway, tonight’s meeting at Prudential Center is the second of the year between these two teams. Devils took a 3-2 win in a shootout at Verizon Center on Oct. 12. Alex Ovechkin is out for tonight and likely longer than that. Caps will need someone to fill the void, but they certainly have plenty of candidates. Semyon Varlamov is expected to get the nod in goal for Washington. Center Mathieu Perreault is expected to make his NHL debut playing on the third line.
Also, center Michael Nylander has finished his conditioning assignment with AHL Grand Rapids. But he will not rejoin the Caps on their two-game road trip as the team attempts to find him another home somewhere – anywhere. Nylander had a goal and five assists during his five games with the Griffins. Check back tonight for updates after each period and a postgame wrap-up.
