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New Jersey Devils at Washington Capitals

FinalTV NHLN-US, MSG+·Capital One Arena

Recap

written from the game data

The Washington Capitals beat the New Jersey Devils 6-3. The Capitals scored first and never trailed. The Capitals led 2-1 after two periods. The biggest swing in win probability was Travis Zajac's goal at 9:23 of the second period, which took the Devils' chances from 13% to 28%. Expected goals favored the Capitals, 3.4 to 2.8; shots on goal were NJD 36, WSH 31. With league-average goaltending at both ends, the Devils win a replay of these chances 59% of the time. Keith Kinkaid stopped 25 of 29 (.862), 1.7 goals below expected; Braden Holtby stopped 33 of 36 (.917). Three stars: 1. Nicklas Backstrom (3 G, 1 A), 2. Braden Holtby (33 saves, .917), 3. Alex Ovechkin (1 G, 2 A).

Three stars

  1. ★
    WSH
    N. Backstrom3 G, 1 A
  2. ★★
    WSH
    B. Holtby33 saves, .917
  3. ★★★
    WSH
    A. Ovechkin1 G, 2 A

Line score

goals · shots on goal beneath
Goals and shots on goal by period
Team1st2nd3rdT
NJDNJD09117210336
WSHWSH18110413631

Scoring

9 goals

1st period

  1. WSH
    wristxG 0.15win prob +12 pts
    0-1
    3:51

2nd period

  1. WSH
    T. Wilson(7)SHG
    wristxG 0.03win prob +15 pts
    0-2
    0:08
  2. NJD
    T. Zajac(8)SHG
    wristxG 0.06win prob +15 pts
    1-2
    9:23

3rd period

  1. WSH
    wristxG 0.16win prob +15 pts
    1-3
    5:45
  2. WSH
    wristxG 0.13win prob +2 pts
    1-4
    10:57
  3. NJD
    T. Hall (18)
    wristxG 0.03win prob +2 pts
    2-4
    12:35
  4. NJD
    T. Hall (19), N. Hischier (10)
    wristxG 0.18win prob +6 pts
    3-4
    18:10
  5. WSH
    Unassisted
    wristxG 0.19win prob +6 pts
    3-5
    18:30
  6. WSH
    wristxG 0.88
    3-6
    19:37

Penalties

NJD 8 PIM·WSH 18 PIM

1st

  • 6:02WSHLars Eller · Cross checkingdrawn by Brett Seney2 min
  • 18:38WSHDevante Smith-Pelly · Interferencedrawn by Andy Greene2 min

2nd

  • 1:05WSHMadison Bowey · High stickingdrawn by Travis Zajac2 min
  • 7:29NJDTaylor Hall · Trippingdrawn by Madison Bowey2 min
  • 17:39WSHTom Wilson · Match penatly 10 minutesdrawn by Brett Seney10 min

3rd

  • 8:26NJDMiles Wood · Butt ending double minordrawn by Dmitry Orlov4 min
  • 10:17NJDSami Vatanen · Hookingdrawn by Jakub Vrana2 min
  • 19:56WSHMadison Bowey · Delaying game puck over glass2 min

Win probability

ours · the whole game
Tap or hover the chart for the moment-by-moment number
WSH goalNJD goalFinal: WSH 100%

Biggest swing: Travis Zajac, 2nd 9:23 — NJD 13% → 28%

Shot map

unblocked attempts · size = our xG
N. Backstrom · Goal · xG 0.88A. Ovechkin · Goal · xG 0.19B. Connolly · On goal · xG 0.17A. Burakovsky · Goal · xG 0.16E. Kuznetsov · On goal · xG 0.15N. Backstrom · Goal · xG 0.15J. Carlson · On goal · xG 0.14N. Backstrom · Goal · xG 0.13B. Connolly · On goal · xG 0.12J. Carlson · Missed · xG 0.10J. Carlson · On goal · xG 0.09E. Kuznetsov · On goal · xG 0.09A. Ovechkin · On goal · xG 0.08E. Kuznetsov · On goal · xG 0.08A. Ovechkin · On goal · xG 0.08N. Backstrom · Missed · xG 0.07L. Eller · Missed · xG 0.06B. Connolly · On goal · xG 0.06M. Kempny · On goal · xG 0.05M. Niskanen · On goal · xG 0.05D. Smith-Pelly · On goal · xG 0.05C. Stephenson · On goal · xG 0.05J. Vrana · Missed · xG 0.05D. Orlov · On goal · xG 0.05N. Backstrom · Missed · xG 0.04C. Stephenson · On goal · xG 0.03M. Kempny · On goal · xG 0.03T. Wilson · Goal · xG 0.03N. Backstrom · On goal · xG 0.03A. Ovechkin · On goal · xG 0.02M. Kempny · On goal · xG 0.02M. Kempny · Missed · xG 0.02B. Connolly · Missed · xG 0.02J. Carlson · Missed · xG 0.02L. Eller · On goal · xG 0.01L. Eller · On goal · xG 0.01N. Backstrom · On goal · xG 0.00E. Kuznetsov · On goal · xG 0.00L. Eller · On goal · xG 0.00
WSH6 G · 3.4 xG · 39 att
Tap a shot for who, when and how likely
GoalOn goalMissedBigger = higher xG

Expected goals

NJDvsWSH
2.83 G
All situations
4 G3.4
2.12 G
Even strength
2 G1.3
0.60 G
Power play
1 G1.0
0.11 G
Shorthanded
1 G0.0

Expected goals: the chance each unblocked attempt scores, from our shot model, summed. 87 unblocked attempts. Empty-net goals are left out of the goal counts.

Deserve to win

on the chances created
NJD59%41%WSH

Flurry-adjusted xG 2.76 – 2.28

How often each side wins a replay of these chances with league-average goaltending at both ends. Rebounds in a flurry are counted once, so a scramble is not three chances.

Team stats

NJDvsWSH
36
Shots on goal
31
53%
Faceoffs
47%
0/5
Power play
1/4
8
Penalty minutes
18
12
Hits
6
11
Blocked shots
14
9
Giveaways
12
5
Takeaways
7

Box score

every player line
New Jersey Devils skaters
SkaterGAP+/-SOGixGHitBlkPIMFO%TOI
45S. VatanenD000-210.09012—21:59
9T. HallL022-240.28022—21:38
13N. HischierC112-120.180005621:25
28D. SeversonD000-140.22120—20:56
8W. ButcherD000000.02000—20:10
21K. PalmieriC000-140.27000019:34
6A. GreeneD000-120.03030—19:17
90M. JohanssonL101-240.47000—18:48
37P. ZachaC000000.001106016:59
19T. ZajacC101-120.520005316:54
63J. BrattL000-130.09000—16:17
25M. MuellerD000+100.00000—15:04
12B. LovejoyD000+120.01020—14:36
11B. BoyleC000-200.0030010013:50
20B. ColemanL011030.2330010013:38
43B. SeneyL000-130.3800010009:45
44M. WoodL000020.02404—07:40
41M. McLeodC000000.000001705:36
New Jersey Devils goalies
GoalieSASVGASV%xGAGSAxTOI
1K. Kinkaid(L)29254.8622.31-1.6959:14

Season series

WSH leads 3-1

Data: NHL. Model: Gridpex (expected goals and win probability built on NHL play-by-play).