Thompson Stands Tall While Devils Ring the Posts in D.C.
New Jersey carried the puck for most of the night in Washington and still left with a 4-2 loss. The difference was in the blue paint.
The Devils fired 80 shot attempts to Washington's 42. By expected goals, a measure of how much their chances were worth, they earned 4.05 to the Capitals' 2.43. On a normal night that is a Devils win.
Logan Thompson made sure it wasn't. He stopped 29 of 31 shots and turned aside all 13 of New Jersey's most dangerous looks. At the other end, Jake Allen gave up four goals on 25 shots and stopped only 5 of 8 of Washington's best chances.
The posts were no friend to New Jersey either. Jack Hughes rang iron twice and Stefan Noesen once. Hughes's linemate Arseny Gritsyuk did break through, with a goal, an assist and six shots.
Washington spread its goals across Ilya Protas, Boone Jenner, Ryan Leonard and Dylan Strome, and Vincent Desharnais set up two. The bounces went the Capitals' way, and they move to 4-3-0.
