Washington @ New Jersey preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 8, 2019 ) New Jersey 0, Washington 3

The Washington Capitals find themselves in a three-way battle for the Metropolitan Division title after dropping two of their last three games and need to take care of business when they visit the last-place New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night. The Capitals had won nine of 10 games before splitting a pair and then losing to NHL-best Tampa Bay 6-3 on Saturday after a rough first 20 minutes.

“Disappointing to end up with a loss like that,” Washington coach Todd Reirden told reporters Saturday. “I thought we did some decent things as the game went on but our first period we didn’t manage the puck well enough to give ourselves a chance.” The loss dropped the Capitals into a tie with the New York Islanders for the top spot in the division with 10 games to go while Pittsburgh is three points back, but the Penguins have nine contests left. The Devils come home after a 2-4-0 road trip that started with a 3-0 loss at Washington and ended Sunday with a setback against Colorado by the same score, but coach John Hynes has liked the fight in his team despite dealing with injuries to many of its top performers. “It shows you there’s a group in there that cares and works,” Hynes told reporters. “After the Calgary game (9-4 loss March 12), to come back and win those next two games speaks to where we’re at culturally and where the guys are bought-in wise.”

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, NBCS Washington

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (42-23-7): Captain Alex Ovechkin scored twice Saturday to pull within two of his eighth 50-goal season and is one shy of tying Brendan Shanahan (656) for 13th on the NHL’s all-time list. Ovechkin tops the league with 48 goals and the team with 81 points while center Nicklas Backstrom boasts 67 points, but finished with a minus-3 rating at Tampa Bay on Saturday. Defenseman John Carlson scored Saturday and has recorded two goals along with five assists during a six-game point streak to sit fourth in the league among blue liners with 64 points.

ABOUT THE DEVILS (27-37-9): Right wing Kyle Palmieri leads the team with 27 goals and 50 points, but scored once in the last 10 games to sit three away from matching his career high set in 2015-16. Forward Blake Coleman has three of his 21 goals in the last five games while defenseman Damon Severson scored twice and set up two others in the same span to increase his career-best totals to 11 tallies and 37 points. Rookie MacKenzie Blackwood, who owns a .919 save percentage, is expected back in net if Hynes continues to alternate his goalies.

OVERTIME

1. New Jersey LW Kenny Agostino has three goals and six assists in 18 games since being claimed on waivers from Montreal.

2. Washington's backup G Pheonix Copley, who is expected to get the start Tuesday, has won five straight decisions.

3. The Capitals, who killed 26-of-28 power plays over the last eight games, have earned at least a point in six of the last seven meetings with the Devils (5-1-1).

PREDICTION: Capitals 5, Devils 1