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Capitals-Devils Preview

Nov 3, 2009 - 5:48 PM By CHRIS ALTRUDA STATS Editor

Washington (8-2-4) at New Jersey (8-4-0), 7:00 p.m. EDT

With Alex Ovechkin, the Washington Capitals are one of the most dynamic offensive teams in the NHL.

Without their injured star right wing, the Capitals will try to transition into being more defensive-minded as they visit the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night.

Ovechkin - the reigning two-time Hart and Richard Trophy winner - is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury suffered in a 5-4 overtime loss to Columbus on Sunday. He was off to a torrid start with an NHL-best 14 goals and ranked second in the league with 23 points as the Capitals (8-2-4) totaled 52 goals in racing to an early lead in the Southeast Division.

Coach Bruce Boudreau now wants his team to tighten defensively as opposed to filling the void left by Ovechkin's departure offensively, which carries more urgency after Washington gave up nine goals in overtime defeats to the New York Islanders and Blue Jackets the last two games.

"We have to buckle down," Boudreau said Monday. "You look at a goal a game he scores. We've got to play better defense. We can't allow four and five goals a game. You have to win 3-1 and 2-1 and, if you get lucky, sometimes make it a 4-2 game. I think we have enough character players who understand what we will have to do without Alex."

Washington has won three straight on the road and gotten at least one point in its last nine overall (6-0-3).

While the Capitals are missing their best forward, the Devils (8-4-0) may get one of their top ones on the ice for the first time this season. Veteran wing Patrik Elias, who has not played since undergoing surgery in September to break up scar tissue in his groin, participated in a full practice Monday.

"The guys did great on their own," said Elias, second on the team with 31 goals, 47 assists and 78 points in 2008-09, to the Devils' official Web site. "You look at the standings, I think they surprised a lot of people. This team does well no matter what you throw at it."

Elias, who had three goals and four assists in four games versus Washington last season, was afforded the luxury of rehabilitating his injury gradually thanks to New Jersey's impressive road start. The Devils became the fifth team in NHL history to open 7-0 away from home after a 2-1 shootout victory over Tampa Bay on Saturday.

It has been a different story at home, however, where New Jersey has been outscored 16-9 in losing four of five and failed to score more than two goals in any of those games.

Martin Brodeur, who made 18 saves before stopping four shootout attempts Saturday, has dominated the Capitals in recent years. He is 14-2-0 with one tie, one shutout and a 2.00 goals-against average since a 3-2 loss Dec. 27, 2002, and his next shutout will tie him with Terry Sawchuk for the all-time lead with 103.

One of New Jersey's road wins came Oct. 12 against Washington, as the Devils rallied from a 2-0 first-period deficit to win 3-2 after Brodeur stopped Ovechkin in the third round of the shootout.