WASHINGTON — Logan Thompson shut the door when the Capitals needed it most, turning aside 16 third-period shots as Washington reeled off four unanswered goals to beat the New Jersey Devils 4-2 at Capital One Arena on Saturday.
Key takeaways
- Thompson finished with 29 saves, including 16 during New Jersey’s late push.
- Ryan Leonard’s power-play rush goal erased an early Devils lead and sparked Washington’s response.
- Boone Jenner scored for the fourth time in five games and now has four goals through eight outings with the Capitals.
- Alex Ovechkin recorded career assist No. 761, leaving him one behind Nicklas Backstrom for the franchise record.
- Vincent Desharnais contributed two assists as Washington improved to 5-3-0.
Capitals take control after early Devils strike
New Jersey opened the scoring at 10:04 of the first period. Arseny Gritsyuk snapped a shot from the left-side wall that found its way past Thompson just one second after a Capitals penalty had expired.
Washington answered before the first intermission, with Leonard delivering the night’s most memorable finish. Working on the power play, the rookie carried the puck the length of the ice, drove between two Devils defenders, faked out Jake Allen and tucked the puck across the line at 16:42 to make it 1-1.
The Capitals took over early in the second. Ilya Protas converted Alex Ovechkin’s saucer feed on a rush at 1:16, beating Allen with a wrist shot into the upper far corner from the left circle. The helper was Ovechkin’s 761st NHL assist, putting him within one of matching Backstrom’s Capitals record of 762.
Dylan Strome stretched the margin to 3-1 at 4:36, scoring his first goal of the season on a backhand at the right post. Jenner added the insurance goal at 11:14, cleaning up a blocked shot near the crease for a 4-1 advantage.
Thompson handles the late pressure
The Devils, who arrived having won three of their previous four games, pressed hard in the final period. Thompson absorbed the workload, making 16 saves in the third and 29 overall to keep Washington in control.
Timo Meier cut the deficit on a New Jersey power play, firing from the right circle with 19 seconds remaining, but the late goal only set the final score. Allen made 21 saves for the Devils, who fell to 4-4-0.
Jenner’s scoring surge has been an early boost for Washington. He has four goals in eight games since joining the Capitals, after posting 13 goals in 67 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets last season.
