The duel between the Washington Capitals and the New Jersey Devils was not for the faint of heart as the former won 6-4 in a match that went either way.
The Devils (3-2-1) thought they had shut down their opponents in the second period. Trailing by three goals, Jack Hughes’ teammates flashed the red light four times in as many minutes and took the lead, thanks in particular to two goals from Tyler Toffoli.
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However, the Capitals (2-3-1) didn’t give up and took matters into their own hands in the first moments of the final third. Dylan Strome equalized for the first time after just 18 seconds of play before Connor McMichael scored the winning goal after a pass from Anthony Mantha 1 minute and 51 seconds later.
The Quebecer had also opened the scoring thanks to a wrist shot that deceived Akira Schmid’s alertness between the pads.
After a difficult dry spell, Alex Ovechkin scored for the second time in a row in front of an empty net.
After the loss, Jack Hughes continued his crazy streak by adding three assists to his record. He now has 17 points in six games. The top pick in the 2019 draft class collected three assists in a single period on two consecutive days for the second straight year, joining a list that only includes the names Wayne Gretzky and Dan Daoust.
The Devils face the Buffalo Sabers on Friday. The “Caps” receive a visit from the Minnesota Wild on the same day.