A 5-2 home win, a 10-21 giveaway advantage and 26 saves from Connor Hellebuyck power New Jersey past Washington.
On Thursday—today in Eastern time—the New Jersey Devils beat the Washington Capitals 5-2. New Jersey edged the shots 29-28 and committed 11 giveaways to Washington’s 21, creating the clearest separation in a close-volume game. Evan Rodrigues scored a power-play goal and added an assist, finishing with two points, two shots, a +2 and one hit; Timo Meier chipped in an assist and four shots. Lenni Hameenaho scored on three shots and finished +1, while Vladislav Kolyachonok and Stefan Noesen also scored; Kolyachonok was +2, and Noesen had one shot, two hits and a +2. Ryan Leonard scored Washington’s power-play goal, recording four shots and three hits at -1, while Pierre-Luc Dubois added a goal and Cole Hutson an assist. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 26 of 28 shots for a .929 save percentage, while Logan Thompson made 24 saves on 28 shots for a .857 mark. The win answers Washington’s listed 4-2 head-to-head victory over New Jersey earlier this season.
Key Performers
Evan Rodrigues, NJ: 1 G, 1 A, 2 P, 2 SOG, +2, 1 hit, 1 PPG. Ryan Leonard, WSH: 1 G, 0 A, 1 P, 4 SOG, -1, 3 hits, 1 PPG. Lenni Hameenaho, NJ: 1 G, 0 A, 1 P, 3 SOG, +1.
Standings Impact
The supplied standings list New Jersey at 13-6-0 with 26 points and Washington at 10-6-0 with 20 points. The Devils also hold the higher power-index position, No. 6 to the Capitals’ No. 13.
DYMA Insight
New Jersey’s 79.3 power-index score (No. 6) was well ahead of Washington’s 63.3 (No. 13), and the Devils’ 11-21 giveaway edge showed where the matchup tilted. With shots nearly even at 29-28, puck security—not volume—was the clearest separator.