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Evgeny Kuznetsov skated around New Jersey’s Steven Santini, cutting to the net and then whiffing on his shot as the puck slid off his stick. Devils goaltender Keith Kinkaid was simultaneously moving into a split in front of the net, and the puck skidded through his legs before he could get down to stop it.
“I just missed the puck,” Kuznetsov said. “It’s good luck. The hockey god maybe give me something back, finally.”
Two days after the Capitals were uncharacteristically shut out, they showed that game was just a fluke and were back to business as usual Thursday night at Prudential Center in a 5-2 victory over New Jersey. The win puts the Capitals at 33-10-6 (72 points) heading into the three-day all-star break and keeps thematop the league standings through 49 games.
“We’re going for break in good mood,” Kuznetsov said. “That’s very important for us.”
Their wins this month have been clinical. The offense has scored at least four goals in 11 of 14 games, climbing into the NHL’s top five in goals per game after the team struggled to score to start the season. The defense is the league’s stingiest, and goaltender Braden Holtby again shined Thursday, saving 27 shots, including many when the game was still in doubt. Kuznetsov led the Capitals with two goals, the second of which was an empty-netter.
Washington managed the scoring output without one of its top offensive players. Winger T.J. Oshie left the team Thursday morning to deal with a family matter. Defenseman John Carlson also missed his sixth straight game with an undisclosed “lower-body” injury.
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