Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes among veterans expected to play at Prudential Center against the Capitals
NEW JERSEY DEVILS (2-1-0) vs. WASHINGTON CAPITALS (2-0-0)
New Jersey plays two games on Sunday, one against the Washington Capitals at Prudential Center and the other in Quebec City against the Ottawa Senators.
You can watch either game LIVE right here on the Devils website and app. You can also listen to the Caps game on the Devils Hockey Network.
Read below for your game preview. The Devils/Capitals game is presented by Complete Mechanical Solutions
• STREAM: Devils Website (Devils Region Only)
• TV: NHL Network (Outside Devils Region)
• RADIO: Devils Hockey Network
THE SCOOP
The Devils continue their pre-season schedule Sunday with a pair of games, one at home against the Washington Capitals and the other in Quebec City against the Ottawa Senators.
New Jersey dropped a 5-3 decision in their exhibition season opener on Sunday at home against the New York Rangers. Arseny Gritsyuk scored a goal and had an assist in his first game in a Devils uniform. They followed that up with a couple of wins against the Islanders, 6-2 at home and 4-2 on the road.
Gritsyuk and Brian Halonen lead the Devils with three points each, while Nathan Légaré and Luke Glendening have also made their mark with two-point performances. The team’s scoring has been well distributed, with 17 different skaters recording at least one point and the power play converting three times so far.
On the back end, Dougie Hamilton and Simon Nemec have stood out early, with Nemec registering a +3 rating in just two games. Between the pipes, Georgii Romanov has been the most efficient of the group, stopping 11 of 12 shots faced (.917 save percentage), while Jakub Málek and Jake Allen also posted solid outings. With a 2–1–0 record and one of the deepest camps in recent memory, the Devils will be looking to continue fine-tuning their opening night roster — and maintain momentum — as the preseason hits its stride.
The Capitals come to New Jersey on Sunday afternoon riding a wave of preseason success, having opened their exhibition schedule with a pair of decisive victories—5-2 over Boston and 5-1 against Philadelphia. As the preseason reaches its midpoint, teams across the league, including Washington, are beginning to trim their rosters and inch closer to opening night form. With that shift, Sunday’s matchup at Prudential Center is expected to feature a higher level of pace and intensity.
Washington has seen strong early performances from a handful of young forwards, including Sonny Milano and Hendrix Lapierre, who have each recorded six points through two games. Prospect Andrew Cristall, who scored a power-play goal Thursday against the Flyers, is expected to be in the lineup on Sunday, while Ilya Protas will become the only Capital to dress in all three preseason contests so far. Captain Alex Ovechkin, working his way back from a lower-body injury, practiced Saturday in a non-contact jersey but is not expected to play.
LINEUPS
Devils: Devils’ lineup:
Gritsyuk – Hughes – Bratt
Palat – Hischier – Meier
Lachance – Melovsky – Hameenaho
MacDermid – Glendening – Halonen
Casey – Pesce
Dillon – Nemec
Vilen – Osipov
Markstrom
Daws
Capitals: The Caps are expected to bring a younger squad to New Jersey even though some veterans like Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson haven’t played a preseason game yet.
INJURIES
Devils: Kovacevic (lower body) is out; Noesen (lower body) is out; Lachance (undisclosed) is day-to-day; Hameenaho (undisclosed) is day-to-day; McLaughlin (undisclosed) is out.
Capitals: Ovechkin (lower body) is day-to-day; Suzdalev (undisclosed) is day-to-day; Dowd (undisclosed) is day-to-day.
24-25 REGULAR-SEASON RESULTS
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