NEWARK, N.J. — Jakob Chychrun delivered the decisive blow in overtime, and Logan Thompson stood tall in net as the Washington Capitals edged the New Jersey Devils 4–3 on Saturday night at Prudential Center.
Chychrun ended the game 4:06 into the extra period, beating Jake Allen with a clean finish for his 15th goal of the season. The overtime winner snapped Washington out of a recent slide, giving the Capitals just their second victory in the past eight games. New Jersey, meanwhile, dropped its third straight contest.
Aliaksei Protas fueled Washington’s offense with a goal and two assists, while Anthony Beauvillier and Alex Ovechkin also found the back of the net. The Capitals continued their dominance in Newark, improving to 11–1–0 in their last 12 games at Prudential Center.
Washington carried a 2–1 lead into the third period, but the Devils briefly seized control with two goals in a span of 32 seconds. Jesper Bratt tied the game early in the period, then Cody Glass put New Jersey ahead moments later. Ovechkin responded midway through the third, scoring his 15th goal of the season to knot the game at 3–3. The tally marked the 912th goal of his career, extending his NHL record.
(Photo by Mark Fischgrund/4.0 Sports Media)
Bratt led the Devils with two goals, snapping a lengthy scoring drought in the process, while Glass added his seventh of the season. New Jersey has now lost 13 of its last 20 games.
The scoring opened in dramatic fashion late in the first period when Protas tapped in a pass from Ovechkin with less than a second remaining. Bratt answered on the power play midway through the second to pull the Devils even. Beauvillier restored Washington’s lead late in the period with his seventh goal, setting the stage for the back-and-forth finish.
Thompson finished with 35 saves for the Capitals, repeatedly bailing out Washington during key stretches. Allen stopped 29 shots in the loss for New Jersey.
The Capitals were coming off a lopsided home loss to the Rangers earlier in the week, while the Devils entered the night following defeats to the Islanders and Sabres.
Up Next
The Devils head north to face the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday. The Capitals continue their road trip Monday night against the Florida Panthers.
