4 Takeaways From Devils’ 7-4 Win Over Capitals

His transition to North America has been remarkably smooth, and Silaev did not miss a beat in his first game with the Devils. His size and speed were on display immediately, including a massive hit on Alexander Ovechkin in the first period. All in all, he recorded 12:45 of ice time, two shots on goal, and six hits.

Special Teams Consistency Was Crucial

Since the start of the season, the Devils have been on the hunt for power-play consistency — and special teams managed to steal the show against the Capitals. Connor Brown tied the game at two at the end of the first period, deflecting Jesper Bratt’s initial shot off his skate to find the back of the net on the power play.

The Devils also took their first lead of the evening on the man advantage, this time from Timo Meier . He stationed himself in front of the net, winning the initial board battle before beating goaltender Charlie Lindgren with a wrist shot. It marked Meier’s fourth goal of the season — three of which he scored within his last four games.

Another key component of the Devils’ success came from their penalty kill. Less than a minute into the third period, Nico Hischier raced up the ice with Brown shorthanded, then buried the puck from the slot to give the Devils a 5-3 lead. They’d go on to surrender just one goal against across four penalties, and now rank 30th in the league with a penalty kill success rate of 66%.

Hameenaho’s Three-Point Night

If there’s one thing that the Devils now have in spades, it’s depth scoring — but one player has stood out in recent games. Since his call-up on Nov. 11, Lenni Hameenaho has been an unexpected contributor, with four points in two games.

He extended his goal streak last night, answering the Capitals’ early tally within three minutes to make it a 1-1 game. Hameenaho unleashed a slap shot from the left circle on a centering pass from Cody Glass. 

The 22-year-old Finn has found success within the Devils’ bottom six, assisting Jesper Boqvist and Evan Rodrigues for a three-point night. Not only did this mark a career-high for Hameenaho, but he’s already halfway to matching his eight-point total from last season. 

After the game, he shared his commitment to putting his best foot forward and contributing every night. “I feel like that’s my mindset, that I want to be here and just keep bringing my strengths every game,” Hameenaho told reporters.

Hellebuyck Remains Undefeated

Since joining the Devils, Connor Hellebuyck has a perfect 7-0-0 record, taking the team to another level by making crucial saves. At first, it looked like the Capitals were going to take control of the game after scoring three goals in the opening period, but Hellebuyck shut the door and did not allow any pucks past him in the second.

But it was his performance in the third period that allowed the Devils to end up with a three-goal lead. He stopped 23 out of 24 shots in the final 20 minutes, ending the night with a .915 save percentage (SV%). More importantly, he led the team to a sweep of their home-and-home series against the Capitals, embracing a tough workload in key divisional matchups.

Devils Back in Action on Wednesday

The Devils will return to Prudential Center to take on the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday, Nov. 18. Puck drop is set for 7:30 PM ET, and the club will wear their Hometown Remix jersey for the very first time this season.