Capitals Look to Rebound at Home Against New Jersey

The Washington Capitals will look to gat back in the win column Thursday night at home against the New Jersey Devils.

After dropping three of the last four games, the Washington Capitals will take the ice Thursday in search of a win against the Devils. It’s the first of four meetings between the two teams. They will meet right away on Saturday in New Jersey.

It has been an up-and-down season for the Caps. Just when they seem to be getting into a rhythm things slow down for a bit. Inconsistency has been a big issue this year — looking like the best team in the league one night and something far more mediocre the next.

Washington’s offense has been the main problem so far. Stacked with talent up and down the lines, the Capitals have struggled to score goals. Slow starts by guys like Evgeny Kuznetsov, Nicklas Backstrom, and John Carlson have put the Capitals in the middle of the pack when it comes to goals scored per game.

Luckily, the defense has been superb for the most part, led by top goalkeeper Braden Holtby.

Despite the recent losses, Washington has actually won seven of the last 10 games. The Capitals need to continue winning in order to keep pace with the top three teams in the Metropolitan Division.

Fortunately, New Jersey presents an excellent opportunity for Washington. The Devils are the worst team in the East and have scored just 80 goals this season. They’ve won just once in the last 10 games and have just one win this season away from the Prudential Center.

When the Devils do get scoring, the majority of it comes from Travis Zajac and Adam Henrique.

Washington plays four of its next five games inside the friendly confines of Verizon Center, a stretch it must take advantage of. That can start with a win over the Devils Thursday.