Tonight the Washington Capitals (31-11-5) seek retribution against the New Jersey Devils (17-22-7). In the last meeting on the 11th of this month the Devils bludgeoned us by a 5-1 score. Not 24 hours after that game Devils fired their General Manager Ray Shero of 4 plus years and has replaced him with Tom Fitzgerald. The Devils are 2-7-1 at Capital One Arena and are 4-12-17 against the Caps since the 2015-16 season. Puck drops at 7.
This will be the last of the three game homestead for the Caps, next head off to face the Islanders on the 18th. The Caps come off of a win 2-0 versing the Carolina Hurricanes. A game which Alex Ovechkin scored his 686 goal, passing Teemu Selanne (684) for the 11th place on the NHL’s all time goal list. The Caps also have reason for celebrating with Nicholas Backstrom resigning 5 year deal, with figure of 46 million. Coach Reirden is keeping the lines just as they have been!
Ovechkin – Backstrom – Wilson
Vrana – Kuznetsov – Oshie
Hagelin – Eller – Panik
Leipsic – Dowd – Hathaway
Kempny – Carlson
Orlov – Jensen
Siegenthaler – Gudas
Starting lines for the Devils..
Wood – Hischier – Bratt
Coleman -Zasac – Gusev
Zacha – Hughes – Simmonds
Boquist – Rooney – Hayden
Greene – Subban
Severson – Vatanen
Butcher – Cardick
Domingue
Starting tonight as netminder, for his second straight start is Samsanov sporting a record of 13-2-1 with a 2.11 GAA and .925 save percentage. Leaving us to wonder is he being groomed to replace our beloved Holtby? Samsanov got his first shutout against Carolina on the 13th.
