Photo: Andy Marlin/NHLI via Getty Images

The Washington Capitals continue a five-game road trip with a stop in Newark, New Jersey, to face the Devils on Friday (7 PM ET) and Easter Sunday (3 PM ET) at Prudential Center. Both games can be seen on NBC Sports Washington locally and NHL Network nationally. The Capitals lead the season series 6-0 with the most recent win on March 26, which was a 4-0 shutout at Capital One Arena.

Capitals

Last Game: 8-4 loss to the New York Islanders at Nassau Coliseum on Thursday

Standings: 23-9-4 (50 points) | first in the MassMutual East Division, 4th overall

Goal Leader: Captain Alex Ovechkin (18)

Assist Leader: Center Nicklas Backstrom (25)

Point Leader: Backstrom (38)

Goaltenders: Vitek Vanecek is likely to be in net for Washington. The 25-year-old has gone 14-6-3 in twenty-four games. Vanecek has 2.73 goals-against average, a.907 save-percentage, and one shutout. Ilya Samsonov, who has gone 8-2-1 in eleven starts this season, has 2.39 goals-against average, a .908 save percentage, and one shutout.

Power-Play: 23.9% (9th) | Forward T.J. Oshie leads with seven power-play goals.

Penalty Kill: 81.3% (10th) | Forward Tom Wilson leads with 43 penalty minutes.

Essential Notes: The Capitals began their most challenging month of the 2020-21 regular season with an ugly loss on Long Island tonight. Head coach Peter Laviolette said in his postgame presser that the team needs “more hands on the rope when you get into a game” like on Thursday. “We need to be more consistent with our effort throughout the lineup and throughout the game,” he said. The team has gone 10-5-2 on the road this season.

Devils

Last Game: 5-4 shootout loss to the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Tuesday

Standings: 13-16-5 (31 points) | seventh in the MassMutual East Division, 27th overall

Goal Leader: Forward Miles Wood (11)

Assist Leader: Defenseman Ty Smith (17)

Point Leader: Center Pavel Zacha (19)

Goaltenders: Mackenzie Blackwood is likely to be in net for New Jersey. The 24-year-old is 9-9-0 in twenty games. Blackwood has 2.87 goals-against average, a .911 save percentage, and one shutout. Scott Wedgewood, who 3-5-3 in eleven starts this season, has 2.72 goals-against average, a .914, save percentage, and two shutouts.

Power-Play: 13.1% (28th) | Wood leads with three power-play goals.

Penalty Kill: 72.7% (30th) | Defenseman P.K. Subban leads with 24 penalty minutes.

Essential Notes: The Devils kick-off a three-game homestand Friday night hosting the Capitals. At Prudential Center, the Devils have a 4-11-2 record. The team placed forward Nikita Gusev on waivers Thursday afternoon.

By Della Young