The Washington Capitals three-game win streak was snapped on Friday night as the New Jersey Devils visited Verizon Center and cruised to a 5-0 shutout victory. New Jersey was led by their captain Zach Parise, who notched a hat trick in just the first 23 minutes of the game. Devils' goaltender Johan Hedberg would only need one of them, however, as he stopped all 23 shots the Caps sent his way. Hedberg made a huge save in the first couple minutes of the game that set the tone, as Brooks Laich fed Troy Brouwer on a two-on-one breakaway. Hedberg fully extended his left pad to stuff the shot and the Devils were on their way.
With a five-goal lead heading into the final period, the Devils were comfortable throttling back and not letting this one get interesting. The Caps put just five shots on net in a scoreless final twenty minutes. Washington now has a big Sunday night showdown against the Philadelphia Flyers, who visit Verizon Center number one scoring team in the league.
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