The Washington Capitals wrapped up their season series against the New Jersey Devils with an impressive 5-4 victory on Sunday, completing a rare eight-game sweep. The game was highlighted by Alex Ovechkin’s historic power-play goal, which tied him with Brett Hull for second place on the NHL’s all-time power-play goals list.
Ovechkin’s milestone came with his 265th power-play goal, leaving him just 10 goals shy of surpassing Dave Andreychuk’s all-time record of 274. Despite the achievement, Ovechkin remained humble, saying, “Keep going. It is what it is.”
The 35-year-old Russian now has 725 career goals, placing him just six goals away from tying Marcel Dionne for fifth on the NHL’s all-time goals list. However, Ovechkin was more focused on his team’s performance, particularly praising goaltender Ilya Samsonov, who made 35 saves in the game despite the Capitals being outshot 39-19.
“I think Sammy today was unstoppable,” Ovechkin said. “Obviously, he gave us the victory.”
Capitals coach Peter Laviolette acknowledged that sweeping the season series wasn’t on their minds at the start of the year, especially against a talented young team like the Devils. “You hope to win each game as it comes, and at the end of the season, you see the results,” he said.
Washington scored from Ovechkin, T.J. Oshie, Conor Sheary, Carl Hagelin, and Evgeny Kuznetsov. This sweep marks the first time in franchise history that the Capitals have won all eight games against a single opponent in a season.
Travis Zajac scored twice for New Jersey, while Yegor Sharangovich and Jesper Bratt each added a goal. Despite outshooting the Capitals 31-12 through the first two periods, the Devils trailed 3-2 heading into the third. Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood faced 19 shots in total.
After Zajac and Oshie exchanged first-period goals, Sheary put the Capitals ahead early in the second period with a shot that deflected off the jersey of Devils defenseman Damon Severson and into the net. Ovechkin extended the lead by pouncing on a rebound from a Nicklas Backstrom shot that slipped through Blackwood’s pads. The power play opportunity came after Dmitry Kulikov was penalized for high-sticking Ovechkin.
“He’s going to be a legend in the game,” said Devils defenseman Ryan Murray. “It’s our job to shut him down, but you must appreciate what he’s done over his career.”
Sharangovich pulled the Devils within one late in the second period, but third-period goals from Hagelin and Kuznetsov stretched Washington’s lead to 5-2. Despite late goals from Bratt and Zajac, the Devils couldn’t close the gap.
“I would say tonight we probably created the most opportunities we’ve had all year,” said Devils coach Lindy Ruff. “But at the night’s end, we didn’t win.”
Potential Trade for Palmieri?
Kyle Palmieri was a notable absentee from the Devils lineup on Sunday. The team announced that the right winger, who will become a free agent after this season, was held out for precautionary reasons. His agent, Stephen Bartlett, indicated that this move was likely in anticipation of a trade before the April 12 deadline. Palmieri has been a consistent scorer for the Devils, netting at least 24 goals in each of his first five seasons with the team, though he has only eight goals in 34 games this season.
Season Sweep
The Capitals’ eight victories over the Devils marked just the 13th time since the 1967-68 expansion that a team has swept an opponent eight times in a season. The last occurrence was in 2007-08 when the Canadiens won all eight games against the Bruins.
Game Notes
Travis Zajac’s two goals brought his career total to 202, tying him with Bobby Holik for third place in Devils franchise history. Only Patrik Elias (408) and John MacLean (347) have scored more. The Devils are now 4-12-3 at home this season, while the Capitals improved to 12-5-2 on the road. T.J. Oshie has scored four goals in his last five games. Ryan Murray matched his career high with three assists.
Up Next
- The Capitals will face the Islanders on Tuesday, completing a stretch of 11 straight games against New York metropolitan area teams—the Devils, Rangers, and Islanders. The Devils will stay home to play the Sabres on Tuesday night.
