Caps Finish November vs. Devils

Nov. 30 vs. New Jersey Devils at Capital One Arena
Time:7:00 p.m.
TV: NBCSW+
Radio:Capitals Radio 24/7, FAN 106.7
New Jersey Devils 9-10-4
Washington Capitals 14-7-3

November didn't start out great for the Capitals, but they're rolling along nicely as they prepare to close out the season's second month on Friday. The New Jersey Devils are in the District for the first of two visits this season, and they'll face a Washington team that comes into Friday's game with a six-game winning streak, the team's longest in nearly two years.
Back on Nov. 1 in Montreal, the Caps carried a 4-3 lead into the final four minutes of a game against the Canadiens. But Montreal tied the game with just over three minutes remaining, and it got the game-winner from Max Domi with less than half a minute remaining. Two nights later back at home, the Caps served the Dallas Stars four turnovers, and each of them ended up in the Washington net in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Stars.
Since that inauspicious 0-1-1 start to the month, though, the Caps have rolled to a 9-3-0 mark in their last dozen games, and they've won six straight contests. Perhaps more impressively, they've done so without Evgeny Kuznetsov, T.J. Oshie and Brooks Orpik in the lineup. And even with six straight victories, the Caps still have some upside to their collective game.
"I think it says a lot about how guys step up and the character of this team," says Caps right wing Tom Wilson, of the team's ability to put together a solid winning streak despite missing key players. "When it's needed, guys step up to the occasion and get the job done. The timing was nice for me to come back and the team is winning, but there are a lot of guys in this room that carry the load on any given night and play big minutes - [Matt Niskanen, John Carlson, Dmitry Orlov and Nicklas Backstrom] - you go right down the line. Those are the guys that do it every night.
"When you need your depth guys to step up when guys go down, that's demanded from this group and that's expected. So we're figuring out what we need to do to win games this year, especially when you have two or three or your really key players out of your lineup. You learn a lot about your team in those times."

With more than a single day between games for the first time this month, the Caps took Tuesday off and practiced on Wednesday and Thursday. Devante Smith-Pelly and Michal Kempny took a maintenance day to heal up some bumps and bruises on Wednesday, and Alex Ovechkin did so on Thursday, but all three are expected to play on Friday against the Devils.
The Caps got a ray of good news on Thursday when Kuznetsov participated in practice with his teammates. He has yet to be cleared for game action, but it's a positive step in the right direction.
"A good step in the progress today, for sure, going through the full practice," says Caps coach Todd Reirden, "and we'll see how he is tomorrow. But it was good to see him out there today, that's for sure."

New Jersey won its first four games of the season, including a 6-0 shellacking of the Capitals in the Devils' home opener on Oct. 11. But since roaring out to that 4-0-0 start while outscoring the opposition by a combined 17-4, the Devils have been taking on water. They've won only five of 19 games (5-10-4) since, and they've been outscored 72-49 in the process.
The Devils are 4-7-3 in November, giving up 48 goals in the 14 games for an unsightly average of 3.43 goals against per game. Only three teams - Ottawa, Montreal and Vancouver - have been dented more frequently this month.
In the middle of the month, the Devils won consecutive games over divisional foes, downing the Pens at home by a 4-2 count on Nov. 13 and earning a 3-0 whitewash win over the Flyers in Philadelphia on Nov. 15. But that pair of consecutive wins is the only one the Devils have managed over the last 44 days. They've won only one of six games (1-2-3) since, though they've picked up a point in four.
One of the Devils' biggest ongoing concerns is in goal. Injuries to Cory Schneider have crimped New Jersey's netminding scheme over the last two seasons, and the team has been fortunate to have Keith Kinkaid on hand to help mitigate the situation. Kinkaid, a 29-year-old non-drafted netminder who earns $1.25 million this year and who will be a UFA next summer, ranks sixth in the NHL with 30 wins in calendar 2018. Slightly more than half (30 of 58) of Kinkaid's career wins have come since Jan. 1 of this year.
Meanwhile Schneider, the 32-year-old former first-round rounder with a $6 million salary cap hit for three more seasons beyond the current one, is incredibly still seeking his first victory of 2018. Schneider's last win was a 3-1 triumph over Detroit on Dec. 27, 2017. Since then, he is 0-15-2 with a 4.11 GAA and an .863 save pct.
In six appearances (five starts) this season, Schneider is 0-5-0 with a 4.28 GAA and an .863 save pct.