The New Jersey Devils visit the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena on Saturday, Nov. 14. New Jersey hosted Washington on Thursday and came away with a 5-2 win, leveling the season series after dropping a 4-2 decision to the Capitals on Oct. 16 in D.C. The Devils can seize the series lead with another victory this weekend.
Devils Storylines
New Jersey recalled defenseman Anton Silaev from American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate the Utica Comets on Friday. The 20-year-old is in his first season within the Devils organization, and he has four assists through 12 AHL games while posting a plus-8 rating as he continues to sharpen his defensive game in Utica.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe addressed the promotion, saying, “He’s probably getting this opportunity sooner than we had thought that he would, and it’s just a symptom of the injuries that we have here now with injuries and illness.” While the organization never expected Silaev to arrive this quickly, he has a real opportunity to make an impact on the blue line tonight in Washington.
His expected defensive partner, Vladislav Kolyochonok, made his Devils debut on Thursday, collecting a goal and a plus-2 rating in a strong two-way showing. Kolyochonok was originally summoned because Brett Pesce was unavailable with illness, and he has since fallen ill himself, opening the door for Silaev’s call-up.
Connor Hellebuyck will get the start once again, and the Devils are unbeaten in his six appearances since he joined the club. A win on Saturday would push that streak to seven. Having just faced Washington in New Jersey on Thursday, Hellebuyck is already well acquainted with the Capitals’ style of play and should be equipped to keep New Jersey competitive.
The player to keep an eye on is Lenni Hameenaho, who opened his season with the Devils on Thursday by scoring the goal that tied the game against Washington. He is expected to remain on the fourth line, and he will look to make the most of every shift.
Team Stats
New Jersey Devils
Season Record: 14-6-0
Top Scorers:
- Jack Hughes – 10 goals (G), 17 assists (A), 27 points (P)
- Jesper Bratt – 4 G, 16 A, 20 P
- Arseny Gritsyuk – 8 G, 8 A, 16 P
- Nico Hischier – 8 G, 5 A, 13 P
- Luke Hughes – 6 G, 5 A, 11 P
Goalie Stats:
- Jake Allen – 6-4-0-, 3.19 goals-against average (GAA), .881 save percentage (SV%)
- Connor Hellebuyck – 6-0-0, 1.97 GAA, .916 SV%
Washington Capitals
Season Record: 10-7-0
- Dylan Strome – 3 G, 12 A, 15 P
- Jordan Kyrou – 5 G, 9 A, 14 P
- Alex Tuch – 11 G, 2 A, 13 P
- Ryan Leonard – 6 G, 6 A, 12 P
- Cole Hutson – 5 G, 7 A, 12 P
Goalie Stats:
- Logan Thompson – 7-5-0, 3.17 GAA, .888 SV%
- Charlie Lindgren – 3-2-0, 3.08 GAA, .881 SV%
Projected Lineup
(Per NHL.com, subject to change ahead of puck drop)
New Jersey Devils
Arseny Gritsyuk — Jack Hughes — Jesper Bratt
Timo Meier — Nico Hischier — Luke Evangelista
Stefan Noesen — Evan Rodrigues — Connor Brown
Jesper Boqvist — Cody Glass — Lenni Hameenaho
Jonas Siegenthaler — Luke Hughes
Declan Chisholm — Dougie Hamilton
Brenden Dillon — Anton Silaev
Connor Hellebuyck
Jake Allen
Scratched: Amadeus Lombardi, Brett Pesce, Vladislav Kolyachonok
Injured: Anthony Mantha, Johnathan Kovacevic
Washington Capitals
Alex Tuch — Dylan Strome — Jordan Kyrou
Alaiksei Protas — Pierre-Luc Dubois — Tom Wilson
Alex Ovechkin — Justin Sourdif — Anthony Beauvillier
Boone Jenner — Ilya Protas — Ryan Leonard
Jakob Chychrun — Matt Roy
Martin Fehervary — Timothy Liljegren
Cole Hutson — Jack St. Ivany
Charlie Lindgren
Logan Thompson
Scratched: Ethen Frank, Ivan Miroshnichenko, Justin Holl
Injured: Rasmus Sandin, Vincent Desharnais