NEWARK, N.J. — The debut of the newest Washington Capitals was a rousing success.
Goaltender Cristobal Huet made 18 saves last night and center Sergei Fedorov helped set up the team’s first goal while looking quite comfortable in all situations. Toss in some stingy defense and fantastic work on the power play and it added up to a convincing 4-0 victory for the Caps against the Eastern Conference-leading New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center.
“It was an ideal start, I would say,” Huet said.
Huet, making his first appearance since the Caps acquired him for a second-round draft pick in 2009 at Tuesday’s trade deadline, played stout in net. His biggest save came against New Jersey’s Zach Parise on a breakaway when the game was still tied.
He also had plenty of help in front of him, as the Caps defense limited quality scoring chances, often preventing them with one of their 11 blocked shots in key moments.
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It is the team’s second shutout of the season. It was Huet’s third shutout of the season — his last came Jan. 29 against his new teammates. The win moved Washington within three points of idle Carolina for first place in the Southeast Division and three of idle Philadelphia for the No. 8 spot in the conference.
“That was as close to our 60-minute game as possible,” Caps coach Bruce Boudreau said. “To hold a team that is down 1-0 to two shots in the third period — I think that is quite an accomplishment. We want to bottle that up and do it again.”
Fedorov recorded his first assist with the Caps and logged time on both the power-play and penalty-killing units. The former league MVP, whom the Caps acquired from Columbus for defense prospect Theo Ruth, also won 10 of 13 faceoffs and made his biggest impact with the man advantage.
Mike Green broke the scoreless tie with a power-play goal 11:27 into the second period thanks in part to a world-class passing exhibition.
Fedorov kept the puck in the zone, and after a give-and-go with Nicklas Backstrom snapped a backhand pass to Alexander Semin near the right faceoff circle. Semin sent a cross-ice pass to Green, who potted his NHL-leading (among defensemen) 17th goal.
“It just feels like there is a lot of trust in getting [Fedorov] the puck, and once we did he made some smart plays and opened a lot of things up,” Green said. “The last couple of games we haven’t had that. It was nice to have him out there. He is sick.”
Viktor Kozlov made it a two-goal lead 43 seconds into the final period. After Backstrom left a drop pass for Alex Ovechkin, he fired the puck from near the right point to Kozlov at the left faceoff circle, and he swept a wrist shot past Martin Brodeur for his 13th of the year.
After New Jersey’s Patrick Elias went to the penalty box for high-sticking Green, the Caps capitalized with the man-advantage again. Semin caught the puck out of mid-air and, after a beautiful diagonal give-and-go with defenseman Tom Poti, one-timed a shot through Brodeur’s legs for his 20th marker of the season at 8:59 of the period.
Donald Brashear added the final insult with 2:55 left. He one-timed a shot from the slot after a centering pass from Matt Bradley, and the few fans still remaining made their displeasure with the home team known.
The Caps have won two straight in impressive fashion and Boudreau will go back to Olie Kolzig in net tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Verizon Center. Kolzig saved 34 of 35 shots against Minnesota hours after the team traded for Huet.
“That’s the plan and we’ll see Monday [against Boston],” Boudreau said. “[Huet] made the saves he was supposed to make and he made it look easy, which was great. We’ll come back with Olie because Olie was great in the last game.”
Notes — Matt Cooke, acquired from Vancouver on Tuesday for Matt Pettinger, was on the ice with the team for the first time at the morning skate yesterday. Cooke did not dress for the game but is expected to play tonight. …
Ovechkin did not score a goal in his seventh straight game, which is now a career-long stretch without one.
“I think he is pressing a little bit. You can tell,” Boudreau said. “I’m not concerned, but I think he is. I keep telling him not to worry, but it’ll come.”
Last night at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
QUOTABLE
“I’m not the tallest guy out there, but I like to get in on the forecheck and create energy for my team — get some big hits and chip in with offense when I can.”
— New Caps forward Matt Cooke, who joined the team in New Jersey and should play tonight against Toronto
BY THE NUMBERS
1,133 Career points before last night for Sergei Fedorov.
907Combined career points before last night for the rest of the forwards in the lineup minus Viktor Kozlov.
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