This Saturday night, November 15, the New Jersey Devils (12-4-1) are traveling to Washington, where they’ll be taking on the Washington Capitals (8-8-1) at Capital One Arena. This upcoming game is a big one for the Metropolitan Division, either the Devils soar above and continue to hold the first place spot, or the Capitals use the win to climb out of the trenches.
Coming into this game, New Jersey’s injured list has grown in size, as Jack Hughes, who suffered a non-hockey injury Friday, is now ruled out for the game. There’s also Connor Brown, Cody Glass, Brett Pesce, and Zack MacEwen, who are all injured. Fortunately for the Capitals though, they only have one injured player, Pierre-Luc Dubois.
To start off, the Devils are coming off of a huge, needed win against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Devils won in overtime against the Blackhawks with Simon Nemec being the hero of the game. Even though the Devils have been one of the best teams in the league so far this season, with 25 points, they still should stay serious and play hard the whole game, as when the team lets their guard down they are their most vulnerable. Even with this information, Washington shouldn’t take New Jersey lightly though, as the team is seemingly always full of surprises.
On the other hand, the Capitals weren’t as lucky, as they lost 3-6 on Thursday against the Florida Panthers. A combination of poor special teams play and a loss of momentum are what led to the loss suffered by Washington. On a more positive note, the Capitals may come in with fire lit under them, which should push them into action. Even with the loss, New Jersey shouldn’t take Washington lightly.
In past games where these two teams played each other, there has always been some violence that arises, whether it be full on fights or forechecks given back and forth. Also, Brenden Dillon has been more physically aggressive lately on the ice. With this information, it is almost guaranteed that this upcoming game will be a rough one.
If the Capitals want to find some success in the upcoming game, they have to keep a close eye on some of New Jersey’s players that have shown immense success lately: Simon Nemec and Dawson Mercer. The 21-year-old Slovakian defenseman has been showing real promise lately within the Devils organization, as in his last two games he’s scored four goals, three of them contributing to a hat trick and the winner in a 4-3 overtime win against the Blackhawks. Then, Mercer has also been everywhere he needs to be on the ice lately, whether it be helping offensively or even defensively.
On the other side of the ice, the Devils have to look out for some of Washington’s players to find a chance at winning this game. Some players to watch out for on New Jersey’s end are Alexander Ovechkin and Dylan Strome. To start off, Ovechkin remains a dominant force to be reckoned with, as even after beating the NHL’s all-time goal-scoring record, he continues to be a primary offensive catalyst. Then there’s Strome, who’s emerged as a top offensive center for Washington and has provided consistent offensive production on any line he’s put on.
To watch this upcoming game, which will most definitely be one you’ll want to see, tune in to MSG networks at 7 p.m.
