This Vitek Vanacek victory is all New Jersey’s.
Game Summary – Event Summary – Shot Summary – Face-off Summary – Play By Play – Home TOI – Visitor TOI – HockeyViz – Money Puck – Natural Stat Trick
In the second half of back-to-back games for both New Jersey and Washington Jack Hughes and the Devils laid the Capitals down easy 5 to 1.
Here’s Saturday night’s Plus/Minus:
Plus: John Carlson’s shutout spoiling third period goal.
- Minus: Lars Eller’s defensive zone turnover.
More notes on the game:
- Midway through the first period Nico Hischier put the Devils ahead with a power play goal. By locating a Dougie Hamilton rebound atop the crease Hischier fired the puck past Charlie Lindgren.
- Vitek Vanacek was excellent in the opening twenty minutes, turning aside ten shots and a pair of power play opportunities.
- Six minutes into the second frame Hughes extended New Jersey’s lead to two. Hughes took Lindgren for a walk and eventually tucked the puck into the net from behind the goal line.
- Three minutes later he struck again. A corner kick from Hughes’ stick went off Lindgren’s cheek and the post before falling into the net for a three goal Devils lead.
- Washington continued to outshoot their hosts through forty minutes of play (23-20) but they could not beat Vanacek.
- Hughes completed his hat trick at 49:51 and sent the Prudential Center into party mode. A quickly transitioning play ended with Hughes in the slot and once he got the puck he did not miss.
- Carlson finally solved Vanacek a few minutes later with a power play goal. It is his ninth career tally against the Devils.
- Fabian Zetterlund provided the margin of victory at 54:47.
- Jonas Siegenthaler skated more than 21 minutes and was whistled for two minor penalties.
- Alex Ovechkin registered a game high eight shots on goal. Carlson had six.