Capitals return home for another date with Devils

After a strange road trip where the Washington Capitals won the game they probably should have lost and lost the game they probably should have won, the Caps return home to take on the New Jersey Devils in a brief stay at Capital One Arena.

Tuesday night in Ottawa, the Capitals after a strong first period threw just 6 shots on the Senators net the rest of the way, yet the last two went in for a 3-2 overtime win. Washington was much better on Thursday in Newark, but some bad bounces helped undo a solid performance and ended up on the wrong end of a 5-2 decision.

Now the Devils head south to take on the Capitals for the third meeting between the two teams this season, with each getting a win on home ice. Washington won the first meeting back 4-2 in Chinatown on October 17, but New Jersey held serve on home ice Thursday.

Washington has faced both current Devils goaltenders this year, beating Jake Allen after 4 goals on 25 shots, and falling to Connor Hellebucyk on 2 goals on 28 shots. 

Hellebucyk hasn't lost a game since joining the Devils, going 6-0-0, but the Capitals had a decent chance to end that streak with a 2-1 lead in the second period, but a redirection changed the momentum and eventually lost the game on a goal that just snuck through Logan Thompson.

Thompson has appeared in both games so far against the Devils, with an .898 save percentage and a 3.05 goals-against average.

Washington has also been much better at home this year than on the road, especially with the imbalance in the schedule, and are a perfect 7-0-0 against Eastern Conference foes at home this year - all of the Capitals' 4 home losses came against Western opponents.

While Alex Ovechkin hasn't had a productive season - his lone goal came over a month ago at home against the Seattle Kraken - he has a chance to pass Nicklas Backstrom on the franchise's all-time assist list, tying the mark Tuesday on Cole Hutson's game-winning overtime goal.

With a combination of productivity and longevity, assists was one of the few offensive categories that Ovechkin doesn't own, as he is the franchise leader in goals, points, even-strength goals, power-play goals, game-winning goals, shots, hat tricks and games played. The only major category Ovechkin won't possess when his NHL career wraps up this spring is short-handed goals - and he isn't even in the team's Top 10 due to lack of playing time on the penalty kill through the years.

Following Saturday's game is the third stop on the Ovechkin farewell tour, with him making his final regular-season stop in Tampa Tuesday against the Lightning.