The question that matters most for Thursday is who starts in goal for New Jersey. Jake Allen started in Winnipeg while Hellebuyck sat on the bench against his old team, so the Devils have their newly acquired No. 1 rested for this one. Nobody has named a starter yet, so treat that as likely, not confirmed. If it's Hellebuyck, Washington's 1-goal formula gets harder to pull off.
The Winnipeg loss showed where the Devils can slip. The Jets scored 2 power-play goals and New Jersey scored none, and Mercer burned his old team twice. Jesper Bratt and Cody Glass got the Devils' 2 goals. The lineup is also a little unusual right now. Anthony Mantha is out with a throat injury, Riley Tufte came up from Utica for depth, and New Jersey has been dressing 11 forwards and 7 defensemen. That puts more on Hughes, Nico Hischier and Bratt to carry the scoring.
Washington's injuries are mostly on defense. Rasmus Sandin (knee) and Vincent Desharnais are both on injured reserve, so younger blueliners like Hutson and Jack St. Ivany, who scored his first NHL goal against Florida, are getting real minutes. Sandin is traveling with the team on this 2-game road trip, which is worth watching for Thursday. Puck drop is 7:00 PM ET in Newark. Expect a fast game between 2 teams that rarely win comfortably, and expect it to come down to whether the Capitals' patched-up defense can handle Hughes.
