The Devils missed a rare chance to secure a season-series victory over Washington on Saturday.
— Nicklas Backstrom scored the go-ahead goal and then added an assist on the night Washington celebrated his 1,000th career point, and the Capitals beat theAlex Ovechkin scored his team-leading 42nd goal on a third-period power play to give Washington breathing room after Backstrom's sixth of the season put the Capitals in front for the first time just under seven minutes into the period.
"We talked about the month of March," said head coach Peter Laviolette after his team's ninth win since it began."There was obviously a couple of months, January and February, weren't up to anybody's standards. ... Month of March, sometimes you can just clear the deck, turn the page on a month and start a fresh month, and we did and it's going in the right direction.
"It was obviously a great night and fun night," Backstrom said."All emotional at the start and then play a game right after, but then obviously it finished the way me and the team wanted." McMichael tied it 2-2 early in the third as the Capitals played on during a delayed penalty, one-timing a pass from Justin Schultz across the line from inside the crease.