Three Multi-Goal Nights Send Devils to Victory in Washington | GAME STORY

WASHINGTON, DC - It took 46 seconds between the Capitals tying the game at three and Michael McLeod retaking the Devils lead in the dying seconds of the second period.

After the Devils relinquished a 3-1 lead and the Capitals poured it on with three second-period goals, McLeod’s goal put the Devils ahead and helped secure a 6-3 win in Washington on Wednesday night.

The regulation win was the Devils first in Washington since Jan. 11, 2020.

"We knew what was at stake here," Nico Hischier said after the game, "It was a big game for us to start of the (year) right. I think we did a good job and we've got to build on that."

The Devils jumped over the Capitals in the standings into the second Wild Card spot

"It was a good fight there," Mercer said, "It's nice for us to find the net, making plays especially I thought our line had a great time overall and whenever you can get those wins, it's great for us."

The line of Erik Haula, Hischier and Mercer combined for four goals and seven points. 

McLeod’s goal was all style, trailing the play as Alexander Holtz brought the puck up the ice. Holtz found McLeod at the top of the left circle, despite being tied up by Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary. McLeod spun around Fehervary to surprise Capitals goaltender Hunter Shepard with a last second shot.

"They tied it up there and it was nice going into the third period with a lead,” McLeod shared, “I was just trying to protect the puck and sling-shot it on net and luckily it went five (hole).”

The Devils fourth goal came with just 15 seconds left in the middle period and was McLeod’s 8th goal of the season, and McLeod also added the Devils sixth goal, late in the third period.

Nico Hischier came into 2024 swinging with two first period goals, the 11th career two-goal game for the Devils captain, who turns 25 tomorrow. Not to be outdone in his 200th NHL game, Dawson Mercer added two goals of his own, with his second goal giving the Devils a 5-3 lead.

Connor McMichael, Evgeny Kuznetsov and John Carlson all scored for Washington.

Here are some observations from the game:

• Jack Hughes continues to rewrite the Devils franchise record books: The assist by Hughes on Nico Hischier's second goal of the night was his 30th assist of the year in his first 31 games. The assist makes Hughes the faster player in franchise history to reach 30 assists in a season, surpassing Zach Parise’s 33 games in 2008-09.

• Nico Daws picked up the first point of his NHL career with the secondary assist on Nico Hischier's opening goal.

Daws has come in to the NHL this season and despite having played just two games has shown an immense calmness in net with very little panic in his game. It was on full display in the first period, when a shot hit the right post and rebounded into the crease behind him. He was able to read the play in time to twist around and poke the puck out of the crease and away from any danger.

“Great so far," Hischier said, "I mean he looks really calm in the net, makes big saves for us and that obviously helps the whole group, props to him, for sure.”

• Luke Hughes has six points in his past four games (3g-3a).

• Three Devils had multi-point nights: Hischier (2g-1a), Mercer (2g) and Erik Haula (2a). It's the first time the Devils have had three players with mult-goal nights in a single game since Mar. 17, 2016 when Mike Sislo, Devonte Smith Pelley and Adam Henrique all scored against Minnesota.

• Ondrej Palat missed Wednesday's game with a lower-body injury. With a hole in the lineup without Palat, Brendan Smith moved to play forward on a line with Chris Tierney and Nathan Bastian.

Lindy Ruff shared after the game that Palat is expected to miss the next few games. 

• Graeme Clarke was called up from Utica earlier in the day but did not dress. He was recalled as insurance as head coach Lindy Ruff suggested that some of his forwards were dealing with some issues that could have prevented them for suiting up tonight.

“We had one player sick that we didn’t know would be able to play,” Ruff said after the game, “As of last night I really felt Graeme would be playing but today, good medical work, intravenus and we got the player back.”

• Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery is the youngest head coach this season in the National Hockey League. TNT had this incredible graphic comparing the two head coaches tonight, including the fact that Lindy Ruff was playing in his second year in the NHL the year that Carbery was born.