capitals vs devils — The Washington Capitals visit the New Jersey Devils in Newark, New Jersey at 7: 30 p. m. EDT Thursday for the season finale between the clubs. Washington comes in aiming to extend a three-game win streak while New Jersey navigates multiple injuries and a forward set for season-ending surgery. This preview lays out projected lineups, the injury picture and the immediate stakes for both teams ahead of puck drop.
Capitals Vs Devils: Projected lineups and matchup notes
The projected Washington forward lines list Alex Ovechkin on a top trio with Dylan Strome and Connor McMichael, followed by Hendrix Lapierre with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Tom Wilson; Anthony Beauvillier with Justin Sourdif and Ryan Leonard; and Brandon Duhaime with David Kampf and Ivan Miroshnichenko. Washington has scratched Declan Chisholm, Dylan McIlrath and Timothy Liljegren, and lists Aleksei Protas (upper body) and Ethen Frank (lower body) as injured.
New Jersey’s likely forward groups feature Timo Meier with Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer; Jesper Bratt with Jack Hughes and Connor Brown; Lenni Hameenaho with Cody Glass and Nick Bjugstad; and Evgenii Dadonov with Paul Cotter and Maksim Tsyplakov. The Devils list Arseny Gritsyuk (upper body), Stefan Noesen (knee), Zack MacEwen (ACL) and Brett Pesce (lower body) as injured.
The matchup marks the fourth meeting this season between the clubs. The Capitals won the last matchup 2-1, and the sequence this year included a shootout and an overtime decision in earlier meetings. New Jersey’s statistical profile this season shows 38 wins and 34 losses with outcomes noted across division play; Washington’s record is listed at 38-28-9 with stronger results in Metropolitan Division contests.
Injuries, surgery and immediate reactions
New Jersey confirmed that Arseny Gritsyuk has elected to have surgery and will be out for the remainder of the season. Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said, “He was on his way to returning to play, but it is something that is likely to be re-injured if not addressed. ” That surgery removes a depth option for the Devils and shapes their lineup decisions for this finale.
Washington’s injury list includes Aleksei Protas as an upper-body day-to-day issue and Ethen Frank listed with a lower-body concern. Washington is carrying momentum into the game and will seek to preserve its three-game streak with the projected attacking groups centered around Alex Ovechkin and Pierre-Luc Dubois.
What to watch and what comes next
Key player notes from this week’s material highlight Connor Brown as a player to watch, noted for recent scoring form, and Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt as central offensive figures for New Jersey. For Washington, Alexander Ovechkin’s goal scoring and Ryan Leonard’s recent contributions are flagged as factors that can decide the game’s flow.
The immediate next developments will be the teams’ final scratches and any late-day status reports ahead of the 7: 30 p. m. ET puck drop in Newark. Game outcome will conclude the season series between the clubs; the Devils will adjust to the absence of Gritsyuk after surgery, and the Capitals will attempt to keep their three-game win streak intact. Expect final lineup confirmations and any last-minute injury updates in the hours before puck drop as coaches formalize matchups for this season-ending meeting of the capitals vs devils.
