The Capitals Split With the Devil(s)

After suffering back-to-back losses — the first against the New York Islanders, the team with the worst record in the Eastern Conference, and the second an embarrassing effort against the Dallas Stars — it was time to see whether the Capitals could get back to playing the kind of hockey that it takes to remain at the top of their game.  Enter the New Jersey Devils, a team that was hanging around the bottom third of the conference, for a home-and-home series.  On Friday, Washington traveled to Prudential Center, the Devils’ home ice, to attempt to get back to their winning ways. The first period left many Caps fans with a sense of frustration.  Not only were the Capitals outskated; Alexander Semin once again took another cheap penalty midway through the first period and Washington’s defensive all-star, Mike Green, was back in the lineup for the first time in weeks — only to be injured and not return.  The Devils scored one at the 13:06 mark, but frankly the Caps wer...