Series Overview – Washington Capitals vs New Jersey Devils

The Washington Capitals once again meet the New Jersey Devils in the postseason, and after ousting them last year, Washington will be looking to assert their dominance once again. However, this Devils squad has grown. With league-leading scorer Tim Stützle and the emergence of Dylan Guenther, they’re not the same team that fell short a season ago.

Both teams split the season series 2–2, but each win was dominant—no overtime, no one-goal squeakers. The Capitals had the most emphatic of the bunch, a 7–0 blowout, showing they can crack the Devils' structure when they hit their stride.

Offense

Washington Capitals
The Capitals’ offense is built on cohesion, not flash. Their top line can hang with any in the league, and their depth guys are productive, versatile, and playoff-tested. However, they ranked just 17th in Goals Forward, showing a lack of finishing consistency against tighter defenses. Seth Jarvis (40-49-89) lead the team this season and linemates Adrian Kempe (37-40-77) and Robert Thomas (21-53-74) show they can compete with most teams. Secondary scoring has been very good as well. The top six in Washington can all score and can lead to some line mismatches this series. Chandler Stephenson (25-44-69), Carter Verhaeghe (21-42-63) and Frank Vatrano (30-27-57) round out the top six.

New Jersey Devils
New Jersey’s top line is among the most dangerous trios in hockey, capable of tilting the ice every shift. But after that? There’s a noticeable dip. Adam Henrique (31-30-61), Jake Neighbours (19-20-39), and Joel Armia (17-19-36) are solid, but not the type to carry games. They will rely heavily on their top line of Tim Stutzle (32-71-103), Dylan Guenther (35-53-88) and Sam Bennett (26-43-69). The Devils scored more than the Caps (13th in Goals Forward), but the reliance on their top line could be a concern if Washington finds ways to shut them down.

Advantage: Washington Capitals

Defense

Washington Capitals
The Capitals play playoff-style defense. They don't take risks, they block shots, they grind, and they make it hard for top lines to get clean entries. It’s not pretty, but it’s extremely effective. Ranked 9th in Goals Against, this unit knows its identity and executes. Scoring has been a concern though as their leading scoring defensemen only finished with 28 points. Adam Larsson (2-26-28), Simon Benoit (7-20-27), Jeremy Lauzon (5-22-27) and Jacob Trouba (4-23-27) all finished with one point of each other.

New Jersey Devils
The Devils’ blue line can score with the best of them—Weegar alone is a game-changer. But playoff hockey demands more than offense. Their group has struggled with consistency in their own zone and gives up too many rush chances, something the Caps can exploit with their transition game. MacKenzie Weegar (24-62-88) led defensemen in points this season. Dougie Hamilton (8-30-38) and Tyler Myers (2-35-37) provide secondary offense. The bottom of the lineup plays a good two-way game. The acquisition at the deadline of Jan Rutta (13-21-34) helped shore things up. Rounding out the top five is Ryan Suter (10-25-35).

Advantage: New Jersey Devils

Goaltending

Washington Capitals
Washington’s goaltending is quietly a major asset. Adin Hill (34-17-5, 2.69, .913%) is calm, composed, and playoff-tested. Calvin Pickard’s (16-8-2, 2.47, .923%) numbers are elite in limited starts. Together, they offer consistency—exactly what’s needed in a tight series.

New Jersey Devils
Jacob Markstrom (40-21-11, 2.73, .912%) is good, but the Devils leaned heavily on him this season. Fatigue could be a factor, especially if this series stretches deep. He’ll need to steal games for New Jersey if their defense falters. Backup David Rittich (7-3-0, 2.39, .927%) had great numbers in a limited role but is most likely a non-factor in this series.

Advantage: Washington Capitals

By The Numbers

Washington Capitals
The Capitals didn’t play their best hockey down the stretch. They had a lot of opportunity to take the division but didn’t. Their Power Play was abysmal and will need to improve if they want to make a run. The Power Play ranked 25^th best in the league. Their Penalty Kill on the other hand was the leagues best. This is a series where Special Teams may not come into play and most of the scoring will come at 5-on-5. Goal differential wise, the Capitals finished 16^th best with a +27.

New Jersey Devils
Much like the Capitals, New Jersey struggled on the Power Play finishing 20^th best, while their Penalty Kill was 2^nd best, only behind the Capitals. Don’t expect much scoring with the man advantage in this series. The Devils had a better goal differential than the Capitals finishing with a +33.

Predictions
This is a classic case of elite top-line firepower vs. playoff structure and depth. While New Jersey boasts more skill at the top, their reliance on Stützle and Guenther to carry the scoring load—plus their average team defense—could come back to bite them against a mature, layered Washington team.

Unless Markstrom steals multiple games, Washington’s depth, and goaltending edge should carry them through. I have the Capitals winning this in seven games.