Devils Fall 4-2 To Capitals

The New Jersey Devils suffered a 4-2 loss to the Washington Capitals on Saturday afternoon at Capital One Arena. The club dropped to a 4-4-0 record. 

Arseny Gritsyuk and Timo Meier scored, while goaltender Jake Allen made 21 saves on 25 shots. The two teams will meet again on Nov. 12, 2026. 

Gritsyuk opened the scoring at 10:04 in the first period, one second after the Devils' power play expired. Dawson Mercer and Stefan Noesen assisted on the goal, with each extending their point streak to three games. 

Before the first period ended, the Capitals tied the game on the power play when Ryan Leonard’s wrist shot beat Jake Allen. Washington’s goaltender, Logan Thompson, picked up an assist on the play. 

A little over a minute into the second period, Washington took the lead when Ilya Protas scored his first of the 2026-27 season. With his assist, Alex Ovechkin earned his 93rd career point against New Jersey. 

Dylan Strome extended the Capitals' lead to 3-1 within the first five minutes of the second period. Newcomers Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou earned the assists. Another addition, Boone Jenner, extended Washington’s lead to 4-1 after 40 minutes. 

In the third period, New Jersey outshot Washington 17-5 and scored on the power play in the final minute of regulation. Timo Meier scored his first of the season, and Gritsyuk collected his second point of the afternoon. After 60 minutes, Thompson picked up his fifth career win over the Devils. 

The team was without Luke Evangelista (illness) and Connor Brown (lower-body injury). Defenseman Brenden Dillon served as a healthy scratch for the third straight game. 

The Devils return home to prepare for a three-game homestand hosting the Anaheim Ducks, Colorado Avalanche, and Los Angeles Kings. The schedule doesn’t get easier from there, as the team will be on the road the following week to face the Dallas Stars, Avalanche, and Vegas Golden Knights. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.