New Jersey Devils (2-2-0, 4 pts, 4th in Atlantic Division)
v.
Washington Capitals (2-2-1, 5 pts, 1st in Southeast Division)
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PREVIEW
The Devils have won back-to-back road games after starting the season 0-2 at home. After dropping decisions to the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers at the Prudential Center, New Jersey bounced back with a 4-3 shootout win over Tampa Bay and a 3-2 victory over Florida on Saturday, outshooting the Panthers 41-21.
New Jersey is struggling to score early on, notching just ten goals in four games. Travis Zajac (3-2-5, -2) paces the Devils with goals in three straight games, while Zach Parise (1-3-4, -2) hasn't quite warmed up yet. Rob Niedermayer has two goals already, and that ranks him second in goals for New Jersey.
Veteran Martin Brodeur has played all four contests for the Devils and has looked rusty as well, with a 3.22 goals against average and .890 save percentage.
Coach Jacques Lemaire liked what he saw from his troops in Florida. "Overall, it's probably our best game from the first minute to the last," he said. "Through the whole game, we probably had one average shift."
Washington begins a three-game homestand, trying to break out of a glut of bad penalties, which has hurt the team in their three-game losing streak. The team has allowed six power play goals during the streak, as a result of taking poor hooking and holding infractions. The Capitals are the fourth most penalized team in the league.
The Caps gave up to power play markers to Detroit Saturday night in a 3-2 loss, with the game-winner coming with Mike Green in the box for hooking with 6:53 remaining in the third period. Green has not scored this season, with just two assists to his credit, despite the Caps averaging four goals a game thus far.
Eric Fehr returned to the lineup Saturday against Detroit, and will again be on the left wing on the third line tonight.
Jose Theodore, off his most solid performance of the season in the loss to the Wings, gets the nod in goal again. He is playing to a 2.90 GAA and .902 save percentage.
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LINEUP
Forwards
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Semin
Laich-Morrison-Knuble
Fehr-Steckel-Clark
Laing-Gordon-Bradley
Defense
Morrisonn-Green
Poti-Jurcina
Pothier-Erskine
Goalie
Theodore
Varlamov
Scratches
Nylander, Schultz, Sloan
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TEAM STATS
WAS: GF: T-2nd (20/4.00); GA: T-25th (18/3.60); PP: 12th (6/24, 25.0%); PK: 14th (6/27, 77.8%)
NJ: GF: T-21st (10/2.50); GA: T-17th (13/3.25); PP: 11th (5/19, 26.3%): PK: 18th (4/17, 76.5%)
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INJURIES
WAS: F Tomas Fleischmann (leg-out)
NJ: LW Patrick Elias (hip, groin, IR), D Mark Fraser (upper body, IR)
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