Devils, Caps Collide | PREVIEW

NEW JERSEY DEVILS (38-34-2) vs. WASHINGTON CAPITALS (38-28-9)

New Jersey concludes its season series against Washington with a contest at Prudential Center on Thursday night. Puck drop is 7:38 p.m. ET. 

Read below for your game preview presented by Warren Thompson & Son Roofing & Siding and check back for the pre-game story.

MORNING SKATE RECAP

NEWARK, NJ - Check back following morning skate around 11:00 a.m. ET.

THE SCOOP

The Devils enter the month of April with eight games remaining on the 2025-26 slate. Five of those games will be at Prudential Center with four coming on the road as the club wraps up its season.

The Devils have played well since returning from the Olympic break. The club is 10-5-0 in its past 15 contests, thanks in part to its offensive surge. The Devils have scored 56 goals (3.73 GPG) and gone 13-for-40 (32.5%) in those 15 games.

The Capitals have kept their dim playoff hopes alive during this stretch run. Washington has 85 points with seven games remaining in their season. They are three points behind Columbus for the second and final Wild Card spot. Washington is 6-1-2 in its past nine games.

Most notably, the game could be the final one for Alex Ovechkin at Prudential Center. Though he hasn’t announced his plans for next season, it’s possible that this will be his final year in the NHL.

The Caps haven’t announced their starting goaltender for the game, but Logan Thompson has faced New Jersey three times this season. He is 2-0-1 with a 1.91 goals-against average and .940 save percentage.

WHO’S HOT

Devils: Forward Connor Brown has six goals and 16 points in his past 15 contests. He’s added three power-play goals in the last seven games, and has scored a man-advantage goal in each of his past two games.

Capitals: Ovechkin has really come on offensively as of late. He has seven goals in his past seven games, including his 34^th career hat trick. Ovechkin has 31 goals on the season, marking the 20^th time in his career that he’s reached the 30-goal plateau.

INJURIES

Devils:
Gritsyuk (lower-body)
Pesce (lower-body)
Noesen (knee)
MacEwen (upper body)

Capitals:
Protas (upper-body)

REGULAR-SEASON RESULTS

• Nov. 15 at Washington, W 3-2 SO
• Dec. 27 vs. Washington, L 4-3 OT
• March 20 at Washington, L 2-1
• April 2 vs. Washington

GAME NOTES

• The Devils and Capitals meet for the four and final time this season. Washington holds a 2-1-0 season series lead, including a 3-2 shootout win at New Jersey on Nov. 15. 

• The Devils have scored 56 goals in the past 15 games, scoring 3.73 goals per game. 

• New Jersey's power play has scored 13 times in 40 tries in the past 15 games for a 32.5-percent success rate.