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The New Jersey Devils and Washington Analytics played each other twice this week in a pair of exciting matchups that could preview a future playoff series. Although the Devils are chasing the Carolina Hurricanes for the division lead and the Capitals sit in fifth place, a First Round postseason meeting remains likely.
Capitals and Devils Playoff Matchup Outlook
The two teams have faced off three times so far, with the Capitals taking the first encounter 4-2 on Oct. 17 before the Devils responded with a 5-2 victory on Nov. 12 and a 7-4 win on Nov. 14. To analyze a potential seven-game series, site reporter Ted Starkey offered his perspective alongside sports.yahoo.com reporting. Both analysts agreed the series would likely go the distance and feature high-scoring action, though the Capitals have been hurt by catastrophic mistakes. Mike noted that the Capitals bring more physicality, size, and better special teams, while the Devils possess superior overall talent, depth, and a slight edge in net with Connor Hellebuyck over Logan Thompson, assuming Hellebuyck maintains his form in the playoffs. Starkey added that Washington boasts four capable scoring lines and strong offensive defensemen like Cole Hutson and Jakob Chychrun.
Roster Depth and the Fourth Line Battle
Recent games demonstrated the impressive organizational depth of the Devils during the Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Jesper Bratt era. When Stefan Noesen, Vladislav Kolyachonok, and Lenni Hämeenaho were called up from the AHL for a recent game, all three scored in a 5-2 victory, leading head coach Sheldon Keefe to call it a Utica hat trick. Hämeenaho has particularly stood out, recording two goals and two assists across two games while making a strong case to remain on the fourth line. “I think his smartness is a little underrated,” Noesen said, as reported by sports.yahoo.com, adding, “He does a lot of good things, all the little things right.” Meanwhile, rookie Amadeus Lombardi continues to learn at the professional level, and veteran Noesen fights to secure his roster spot while dealing with the stress of moving between the AHL and NHL for the sake of his family.
Milestones, Affiliates, and Upcoming Schedule
Anton Silaev made his NHL debut against the Capitals and superstar Alexander Ovechkin, continuing a hockey tradition of young prospects facing established legends. In the AHL, the Utica Comets recently won six straight games, providing reliable depth for the NHL squad, which also saw Evan Rodrigues step up with three goals and four points over the last two games. Following a grueling stretch of 10 games in 17 days, the Devils enter a rare scheduling break before hosting the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night and visiting the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.
