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 That was the case Thursday night after Washington goaltender
Braden Holtby was voted the game's No. 1 star following his 26-save
win effort in the Capitals' rout of the New Jersey Devils at the
Verizon Center.
"That game could have looked a lot different after the first period
if he doesn't make a couple of really top-end saves," said
defenseman Matt Niskanen, who assisted on two of the Capitals' six
goals. "They had some good looks and he was sliding across with the
glove a couple times. He gave us a chance."
Holtby allowed the Capitals to get out of the first period tied 2-2
and left winger Marcus Johansson scored what proved to be the winner
6:18 into the second period as the Caps posted their first home
victory of the season. They had lost their previous two home games
in shootouts.
"I was more nervous about getting a home win," Capitals coach Barry
Trotz said. "I just felt we had to send the fans home with a win.
The fans make this a very tough place to play."
They certainly made it tough on Devils goaltender Cory Schneider. Left winger Alex Ovechkin, right winger Chris Brown, left winger
Marcus Johansson, center Nicklas Backstrom, right winger Joel Ward
and center Andre Burakovsky all scored goals for the Capitals.
It was the first home win for the Capitals (2-0-2) and the first
loss of the season for the Devils (3-1-0), who closed out a
season-opening four-game road trip. New Jersey received two goals
from rookie defenseman Damon Severson.
Schneider allowed five goals on 26 shots, including one by Ward that
caromed off the boards and off the back of his leg, prompting Devils
coach Peter DeBoer to pull him. Backup Scott Clemmensen allowed one
goal and seven shots in his first action of the season.
"For me personally, and as a team, I don't think we're going to let
two minutes of hockey in the third period take away from what was
otherwise a pretty good road trip," Schneider said.
Capitals defensemen Matt Niskanen, Mike Green and Brooks Orpik and
right winger Troy Brouwer each picked up two assists in the win.
The Devils also lost right winger Martin Havlat, who left the ice
with 3:09 remaining in the second period after a violent collision
and did not return.
Havlat was hunting down a loose puck behind the Washington net when
Capitals left winger Jason Chimera checked him into referee Darcy
Burchell's left elbow. The collision opened up a gash on Havlat's
face and the veteran forward was helped off the ice.
Looking for their first season-opening, four-game win streak since
1995-96, the Devils outshot the Capitals 14-8 in the first period
but skated into the first intermission locked in a 2-2 tie.
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The Devils fell behind for the first time all season just 34 seconds
into the game. Ovechkin corraled a rebound of a Brouwer shot, cut to
his right and ripped a shot past Schneider for his fifth goal of the
season, one behind NHL leader Rick Nash of the New York Rangers.
The Devils answered with the first of Severson's two goals, a slap
shot through Ovechkin's legs that eluded Holtby, but just 47 seconds
later Brown rumbled down the right wing and beat Schneider over his
left shoulder from a sharp angle.
Severson tied it with another slap shot through traffic for his
third goal of the season.
The Capitals regained their footing in the second period,
outshooting New Jersey 16-7 and taking a 3-2 lead at 6:18 on
Johansson's second goal of the season.
The Capitals piled on the offense in the third period, getting goals
from Backstrom, Ward and Burakovsky to complete the rout.
"I think we would have taken (a 3-1-0 record) to start on the road,"
DeBoer said. "Still, it doesn't sit well because I thought tonight
was a winnable game for us."
NOTES:Thanks to RW Jaromir Jagr, 42; C Patrik Elias, 38; D Bryce
Salvadore, 38; D Marek Zidlicky, 37; G Scott Clemmensen, 37; and
Dainius Zubrus, 36, the Devils entered the game as the NHL's oldest
team with an average age of 31.7. Six players in the Capitals'
lineup had not yet been born when Jagr scored his first NHL goal on
Oct. 7, 1990. Washington RW Marcus Johansson was 1 day old. ... John
Carlson played in his 300th consecutive game, most ever by a
Washington defenseman. Carlson and D Karl Alzner (297 straight
games) have played in every Capitals game the past four seasons. ...
LW Mike Cammalleri is the second player to begin his Devils career
with goals in three straight games. Doug Gilmour scored goals in
four straight games after getting traded to Devils in February 1997.
... The Capitals conclude their three-game homestand on Saturday
night against the Florida Panthers. ... After starting the season
with four consecutive road games, the Devils go home to face the San
Jose Sharks on Saturday.
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