Tom Wilson’s Overtime Goal Lifts Capitals Over Devils 6-5

Craig Darby
Craig Darby
2 Min Read
Oct 19, 2024; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson (48) makes a save against New Jersey Devils right wing Timo Meier (28) during the overtime period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images

Tom Wilson’s second goal of the night, scored four minutes into overtime, secured a 6-5 victory for the Washington Capitals over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night.

Alex Ovechkin also contributed with his first goal of the season, coming on a deflection, bringing him 41 goals shy of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record of 895. Ovechkin’s tally at the Prudential Center marked his 15th career goal at the venue, tying the record for the most goals by a visiting player there.

The Capitals also saw goals from Andrew Mangiapane, Connor McMichael, and Dylan Strome. For the Devils, Nico Hischier shone with two goals and an assist.

Logan Thompson made 26 saves for the Capitals, while Jacob Markstrom stopped 31 shots for the Devils.

Takeaways

New Jersey fell behind 3-1 early but battled back to tie the game at 5-5 late in the third period with relentless offensive pressure.

The Capitals’ second line, featuring Wilson, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and McMichael, played a pivotal role, combining for five points in the game.

Key Moment

Devils captain Nico Hischier scored two goals within 10 seconds early in the second period, tying the game at 3-3. This set a new franchise record for the fastest two goals by a single player and the fastest pair of goals to start a period (44 seconds) in Devils history.

Key Stat

Wilson, known for his physical play, has also started the season strong offensively, matching a franchise record by scoring a goal in each of the Capitals’ first four games. This was Wilson’s 758th game for Washington, tying him with Mike Gartner for ninth on the team’s all-time games played list.

Up Next

The Capitals will travel to Philadelphia on Tuesday to face the Flyers, while the Devils will host the Tampa Bay Lightning on the same night.