After a bounce back game against the Ottawa Senators Thursday, the New Jersey Devils looked to form a winning streak against the Washington Capitals this past Saturday night. They were unable to achieve the win in overtime, though, as Tom Wilson would win the game for the Capitals in overtime, the ending score 6-5.
Thursday night the defense was able to step up alongside the bottom two lines once again. Many hoped this fire in the players will transition into this game. There was also an expectation to see more production come from big-name players like Jack Hughes, Dawson Mercer, and Nico Hischier.
The Devils suited up to head out for the first period. New Jersey struggled to keep the puck in the offensive zone until Stefan Noesen won the face off and sent it to Tomas Tatar, who sent it to Erik Haula, and this would light the lamp for the Devils as Haula would get the Devils on the board first. The excitement of the goal would die down quickly, though, as only two minutes later a defensive breakdown would take place and Tom Wilson would capitalize and sneak one past Jacob Markstrom, assisted by Connor McMichael, to tie the game.
The Devils surge seemed to wear off as they were unable to finish passes and their play turned sloppy. Washington would once again take advantage of the Devil’s sluggish play and Connor McMichael would be the one to give the Capitals the lead two to one, from Tom Wilson and Jacob ChyChrun.
New Jersey seemed to lose any fire they had in them as they continued to play sluggish and seemingly tired, and before they knew it Alex Ovechkin had netted his first of the season from John Carlson and Dylan Strome. This extended Washington’s lead to three-one, leaving the Devils discouraged when leaving the ice for the end of the first period.
The defense throughout this first period was one of the reasons there were three goals against the Devils. Their passes kept slipping through and they didn’t seem as on edge as they should have been.
Coming out for the second period, New Jersey seemed to have a change of heart as suddenly Nico Hischier would show the rest of the team how it’s done by scoring two goals that were only six seconds apart, a franchise record; these two goals would tie the game at three-three. His first goal was assisted by Stefan Noesen and his second goal was assisted by Timo Meier. New Jersey seemed to be playing more alive until Andrew Mangiapane would score from Trevor van Riemsdyk and Aliaksei Protas, giving Washington the lead once again.
NICO HISCHIER, TWO GOALS IN 8 SECONDS 😱 pic.twitter.com/zu5KNR8CLw
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 20, 2024
The atmosphere within the Devils would change negatively once again, causing more turnovers and giveaways. The Devils slow play would cause Dylan Strome to tip one in from Trevor van Riemsdyk, giving the Capitals a bigger lead of five-three. Regulation would end with the score being five-three Washington.
This was a rough period for the Devils as they were unable to produce anything after Hischier’s two goals.
The Devils left the locker room and headed out for the third period. New Jersey seemed to have some fire in their play coming out of the locker room, as they were tighter on their defensive end while also keeping the puck inside the offensive zone. Their shots were also more thought over and consistent. With this energy, Dawson Mercer struck and scored his second of the season from Nico Hischier and Timo Meier. The determination New Jersey seemed to have would show that they were not giving up so easily.
The Devils continued to dominate throughout regulation. After a penalty on Rasmus Sandin, the Devils had the power play they needed that could help them tie the game. With a few seconds left on the powerplay, Dougie Hamilton shot one of his infamous slap shots and it flew past Logan Thompson, tying the game at five-five. Throughout the rest of the period no teams would score and the Devils would be sent to their first overtime of the season.
During overtime the Devils had many good shot attempts but Logan Thomspon would deny them access. The Capitals won the faceoff and Tom Wilson took control of the puck and won the game for Washington with a wrist shot from Dylan Strome and Jakob Chychrun. The Devils lost the high-scoring game six-five.
Even with the loss, many positive attributes shined. Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer were able to do exactly what was expected of them even when they were losing. In addition, the defensive lines may have been a little stagnant, but they were still able to play their best in the times where it mattered most. Looking ahead, in a short amount of time, defensemen Brett Pesce and Luke Hughes should make their arrival back to playing games, which will most definitely give the team a boost within their defense.
New Jersey plays their next game home Tuesday, Oct. 22 against the Tampa Bay Lightning at 6:45 PM.