The Washington Capitals went to New Jersey to face an incredibly-depleted Devils team missing star goaltender Martin Brodeur, sniper Zach Parise and captain Jamie Langenbrunner. The Devils had one home win, scored a league-worst 1.8 goals per game and had nothing going for them. Until tonight.
Jason Arnott scored two goals as the Devils defeated the Capitals 5-0 Monday, handing the Capitals' their second 5-0 defeat in three games. Patrik Elias, Dainius Zubrus and Mattias Tedenby also scored for New Jersey.
The Capitals, despite outshooting New Jersey 30-23, could not find any offensive rhythm. The Devils normally have that problem, averaging a league-worst 1.8 goals per game, but not Monday. The Devils put three goals past Braden Holtby in the first period, the second time Holtby has done that in the past three games as well.
Holtby, however, would not be pulled like he was Friday against the Atlanta Thrashers because of an interesting situation involving the other two Capitals goaltenders, Michal Neuvirth and Semyon Varlamov. Neuvirth was expected to start after leaving the morning skate first earlier today, but Holtby got the start instead. Before the game, the Capitals officially recalled Varlamov from AHL Hershey. It was announced during the game that Neuvirth had tweaked some sort of injury and head coach Bruce Boudreau elected to sit him. There was no backup on the bench until midway through the second period, when Varlamov arrived on the bench
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