This week, the New Jersey Devils played the Washington Capitals twice. Both games were exciting and possibly a preview of what’s to come. After all, there’s Capitals and the Devils face in the playoffs. 

While the Devils are closing in on the Carolina Hurricanes for the best record in the division and the Capitals sit in fifth place, it’s still likely they meet in the First Round. So, that’s where this week’s Notebook begins, looking back at the past week and trying to predict the future. 

These teams have already met three times, with the Capitals winning the first meeting on Oct. 17, 4-2, while the Devils won the next two games, 5-2 on Nov. 12 and 7-4 on Nov. 14. It’s enough of a sample size to know that a seven-game series would be entertaining and likely go the distance. To dive into a matchup, I reached out to my colleague and Capitals site reporter Ted Starkey for his perspective as well. 

What type of series should we expect?

Mike: It will be a high-scoring series with plenty of skill on display. The Devils scored 12 goals in the past two games against the Capitals with offense throughout the lineup, and the Capitals have young skaters who are matchup problems, notably Ryan Leonard and Cole Hutson. Quite the contrast from the 1988 playoff series that featured multiple line brawls, including a Game 3 with 231 combined penalty minutes between the two teams. 

Ted: The series likely would be the Capitals and Devils trading chances, with some entertaining hockey. The two teams can generate offense and will need their Vezina Trophy-caliber goaltenders (Connor Hellebuyck for the Devils and Logan Thompson for the Capitals) to wipe away mistakes. 

Where do the Capitals have the edge?

Mike: The Capitals are the more physical team and have the size to win in the playoffs. The Protas brothers, Alex Tuch, and Tom Wilson give them a heavy lineup that can give the Devils problems. It’s worth adding that the Capitals have the better power play and penalty kill, both of which make a difference in a playoff series. 

Ted: The Capitals have the better forward unit, with four lines that are capable of scoring. They can overwhelm the Devils, especially with Leonard emerging as a young difference-maker. Speaking of difference-makers, the Capitals have two on their defense, with Hutson and Jakob Chychrun making plays at the point. 

Where do the Devils have the edge?

Mike: The Devils proved in the last two games that they are the more talented team. They have the depth this season, and despite the injuries, the defense can hold its own. More importantly, the Devils have the edge in the net, as Hellebuyck can make the big saves where Thompson can’t. The big question for the Devils in the net is whether Hellebuyck can deliver in the playoffs, which has been a question throughout his career. That said, between him and Thompson, he’s the one to trust in a playoff series. 

Ted: The Devils are the more talented team, as evidenced by their record and a 2-1 advantage in the season series. On top of that, they have the edge in net, assuming Hellebuyck plays at a high level in the playoffs, as he does in the regular season. 

Who would win?

This series will likely go the distance, and home ice will make a difference, especially since both head coaches can use the last change to find favorable matchups. If the two teams met for a seven-game series this week, the Devils would have the edge. 

However, a lot can happen from now until then. Injuries can change either team, and for many hockey fans, they are waiting for a shoe to drop and see how the Devils battle the injury woes (they’ve struggled to do so in the past, but with Hellebuyck, maybe things are different). Plus, either team can make a big trade to land an elite talent that would not only swing this series but put them in the driver’s seat to make a playoff run as well. 

If the latest games proved anything, it’s that this team has depth. It’s arguably the deepest team the Devils have had in the Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Jesper Bratt era. It’s not just the NHL roster either; it’s organizational depth. 

The Devils saw it firsthand when Stefan Noesen, Vladislav Kolyachonok, and Lenni Hämeenaho were called up for Thursday’s game and all found the back of the net in the 5-2 win. “It’s a Utica hat trick,” head coach Sheldon Keefe stated afterwards. 

Hämeenaho has particularly made a statement because he not only played in the Thursday game but was also in the lineup for the Saturday win as well. This season, he’s on a mission to stay with the Devils and is playing that way as well, with two goals and two assists in two games. 

It raises the question: what does the ideal fourth line look like for the Devils? 

Assuming Anthony Mantha is healthy and playing on the Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist line, and Connor Brown moves to the Cody Glass line, there’s only one spot left on the fourth line. Are the Devils better off giving that spot to Hämeenaho or Amadeus Lombardi, or keeping the veteran Noesen around (which is tougher with the salary cap)? 

Hämeenaho has made his case to stay on the fourth line. He’s fast, plays the puck well, and has a scoring touch but still defends. “I think his smartness is a little underrated,” Noesen stated after Thursday’s game, adding, “He does a lot of good things, all the little things right.”

Lombardi is still learning the pro game as a rookie. He’s shown flashes but still makes mistakes. That’s why two games as a healthy scratch benefit the 23-year-old winger, who can watch the game from the press box and come back stronger. The only question is whether Hämeenaho is giving up that spot anytime soon. 

There’s a good chance Keefe rotates the two forwards depending on the hot hand and the matchup. The odd one out at the end of the day is Noesen, the veteran who is fighting for his career and hoping to stay in the NHL as the clock ticks. 

Noesen admitted that splitting time between the AHL and the NHL has been stressful, not just for him but for his family as well. It's definitely been hard, not really for me but for my wife; she's been the one going through it. She's got herself. She's got me, and that's pretty much it. So, I give her a lot of credit. The kids are asking where Dad is sometimes, and that’s when it gets hard, right?” Noesen knows that the call-ups and getting sent to Utica come with the territory, especially at this point in his career. That said, it still takes a toll, and for him, he hopes that he does enough to stay with the Devils, not just for himself but for his family as well. 

Anton Silaev made his NHL debut on Saturday against the Capitals and Russian superstar Alexander Ovechkin. Silaev was born in 2006, nearly two years after Ovechkin was drafted in 2004.

It’s not the first time hockey has had one of these moments. Matthew Schaefer made his NHL debut with the New York Islanders against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Crosby won a Hart Trophy before Schaefer was born in 2007. When Jaromir Jagr was on the 2014-15 Devils, he was playing on a team that had four skaters who weren’t born when he won a Cup title with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992; one of those players was Stefan Matteau, whose father, Stéphane, played against Jagr in the 1990s. 

This week put the Comets, the Devils AHL affiliate, in the spotlight as well. While they lost their latest game 3-2, the Comets won six games in a row and have a farm team that’s provided the Devils with extra depth, which was noticeable this week. 

Evan Rodrigues has scored three goals and four points in the last two games. He has stepped up with Mantha out and picked up the third line’s offense. Rodrigues is one of those players who go unnoticed but is a steady force in the forward unit, with six goals and five assists for the Devils this season. 

The Devils went through a marathon of games in the past two weeks, with 10 in 17 days. Now, they have a rare lull in the schedule with a Wednesday night home game against the Montreal Canadiens, then a Saturday night road game against the St. Louis Blues. The Devils will make the most of the rest, especially as they battle the injury and illness bug. 

Before Thursday’s game, I went to American Whisky, one of the local restaurants across the street from Prudential Center. They talked about the highs and lows of having a restaurant across the street from an arena while I chowed down on some wings (which were great). The pros are game nights, with a rush of people an hour before puck drop and a few hours afterwards. The cons are when the Devils aren’t playing (or any sort of game), as the area is dead and lacks traffic. 

Let me know in the comments which places I should check out next. Hobby’s Deli is on the list, especially since they’ve added items to the menu for Hellebuyck and general manager Sunny Mehta.