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 - The Devils held a full morning skate Thursday at the Prudential Center ahead of facing the Washington Capitals. All expected players were on the ice.

Injured forward Arseny Gritsyuk (undisclosed) was not on the ice with the club. Following practice, head coach Sheldon Keefe said that he will have surgery and his season is over. 

“The nature of his injury is one that, if not addressed, is going to linger and potentially impact him,” Keefe said. “He’s elected to have surgery just to get it repaired and get an early start to have as good of an off-season as he can, and most importantly, not have this be something that continuously pops up.

"It's similar to the injury he had earlier in the season. You can rehab it a bit and come back and play. But some damage is done there and it's likely to reoccur if not addressed."

Final Time for the Great 8?

The Devils have seen a lot of Alex Ovechkin over the years. The Great 8 has played 81 games against New Jersey in his career. In that span, he’s posted 44 goals and 92 points. Depending on Ovechkin’s decision at the end of the year, tonight could be his final game at Prudential Center.

“Every time you skated in an outdoor rink growing up and you scored you called each other Ovechkin,” forward Jesper Bratt said. “It’s so associated with scoring goals since I was so young. Every highlight video from when I was young and then to play against him so many times, it’s really fun but it’s a challenge too.”

Ovechkin is the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer with 928 career goals. He also has 31 goals this season, the 20^th time he’s hit that mark in his career. Combined with the playoffs, Ovechkin has tallied over 1,000 goals in his career.

“In our league, in the game, the goal scoring speaks for itself,” Keefe said. “Whether it’s his last year or he has more in the tank, it’s been pretty remarkable. The thing that stands out to me is the passion that he has for goal scoring. Seems like every goal that he’s scores is like his first still today. His energy and passion for scoring and love of the game – as an outsider, that’s what really stands out to me. The love and passion for the game, pair that with such incredible talent, you have an iconic and legendary player.”

Scouting the Caps

Keefe on Washington: “Terrific team at 5-no-5 at both ends of the ice. Big, heavy and fast. I expect a lot of intensity and a lot of competitiveness.”

The Old Ball Game

Jack Hughes is expected to throw out the first pitch on Friday at the New York Yankees game.

“It’s going to be fun to watch and interesting. If I know Jack, he’ll be getting in some reps and practicing,” Keefe said. “He’ll be as prepared as possible. Most importantly, it’ll be a terrific moment for him, for our organization, for our league, to have a moment like that is pretty terrific. I’m sure he’ll be ready. I don’t expect Jack to have any sort of nerves. He’ll be all about it.”

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.