Capitals Edge Devils Behind Thompson's 30 Saves

Washington wins 2-1 in tight matchup between playoff-contending teams.

Mar. 21, 2026 at 5:52am

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Logan Thompson made 30 saves to lead the Washington Capitals to a 2-1 victory over the visiting New Jersey Devils on Friday. Ryan Leonard and Aliaksei Protas scored for the Capitals, who are 3-0-1 in their last four games. Jesper Bratt scored the lone goal for the Devils, who had their three-game winning streak snapped.

Why it matters

This was an important matchup between two teams fighting for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference. The Capitals were able to hold off a strong Devils team and pick up a crucial two points in the standings.

The details

The Devils controlled play early, but the Capitals started to find their game as the first period progressed. Leonard opened the scoring at 9:36 of the first, and Protas added an empty-net goal late in the third to make it 2-0 before Bratt scored for the Devils with 43 seconds remaining. Thompson was solid in net for Washington, making several key saves to preserve the victory.

  • The game was played on Friday, March 21, 2026.
  • Leonard scored the opening goal at 9:36 of the first period.
  • Protas scored the empty-net goal at 18:17 of the third period.
  • Bratt scored for the Devils with 43 seconds remaining in the third period.

The players

Logan Thompson

The goaltender for the Washington Capitals, who made 30 saves in the victory.

Ryan Leonard

A forward for the Washington Capitals, who scored the opening goal in the first period.

Aliaksei Protas

A forward for the Washington Capitals, who scored an empty-net goal in the third period.

Jesper Bratt

A forward for the New Jersey Devils, who scored the lone goal for his team in the third period.

Jake Allen

The goaltender for the New Jersey Devils, who made 26 saves in the loss.

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What they’re saying

“We knew it was going to be a tight game against a tough opponent, and our guys really battled hard to get this win.”

— Peter Laviolette, Head Coach, Washington Capitals

“We had our chances, but Thompson was sharp all night. We'll need to regroup and come back stronger in our next game.”

— Lindy Ruff, Head Coach, New Jersey Devils

What’s next

The Capitals will look to build on this win as they continue their push for a playoff spot, while the Devils will aim to bounce back in their next game.

The takeaway

This was a hard-fought, low-scoring affair between two teams battling for position in the Eastern Conference. The Capitals were able to grind out the victory behind a strong performance from their goaltender, Thompson, demonstrating their ability to win close games against tough opponents.