Devils vs. Capitals Preview: Looking to Rebound

After a poor defensive performance against the Avalanche, the New Jersey Devils will need to clean it up vs. the Capitals to get back in the win column

After a tough outing against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night, the New Jersey Devils return to the ice to take on the Washington Capitals for the second time this season. Here are three things to watch as the Devils look to get back in the win column. 

Cleaning It Up Defensively

The Devils are not a bad defensive team by any stretch, but they had a bad defensive game against the Avalanche. They gave up 13 odd-man rushes, with most coming over the final two periods. 

The Capitals aren't as talented or fast as the Avalanche, but they have improved since the team's first matchup on Oct. 25. They were one of the worst five-on-five teams in the league heading into that tilt, but they've now brought themselves to the middle of the pack. 

The Capitals' expected goals percentage of 50.28 percent ranks 15th in the NHL, a significant jump from the sub-40 percent expected goals share they had coming into the teams' first matchup of the season. Over their last four games, the Capitals' xG% is 54.33 percent, so they're playing good hockey. 

The Devils won't have to deal with the speed that they did against the Avalanche a couple of nights ago, but they absolutely cannot give up 13 odd-man rushes. The Capitals still have enough firepower in Alex Ovechkin, Dylan Strome and Tom Wilson that they'll make the Devils pay. 

Part of that is getting better games from Kevin Bahl and Luke Hughes, who struggled against the Avalanche. That comes with the territory with two young defensemen like them, but they need bounce-back performances tonight. 

Devils Cannot Afford to Take Penalties

It's still early to be reading too much into special teams, but the Devils' penalty kill has had a shaky start to the season. They're killing 76.7 percent of the power plays they've faced, ranked 18th in the NHL.