The Washington Capitals aim to continue their strong home performance when they host the New Jersey Devils on Friday.

Washington (34-27-8, 76 points) has been dominant at home, going 7-1-1 in their past nine games after a 4-1 win against the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday. The Capitals have won 21 of their 36 home games, ranking among the top seven teams in the NHL in home victories.

"I think the only thing that matters right now is two points," goalie Logan Thompson said. "I don't care if I let in seven goals, so we'll build off it. Every point is important right now, so just get ready for the next games. We've got two more here at home, and those are equally as important."

Washington entered Thursday six points behind the Eastern Conference's two wild-card spots, held by the Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings, with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Ottawa Senators, and Philadelphia Flyers just ahead. The climb could be tougher as each of those teams played Thursday, giving them a game in hand.

Alex Ovechkin notched his 25th goal of the season against Ottawa, reaching 999 career NHL goals across regular season and playoffs—just one shy of joining Wayne Gretzky as the only players with 1,000 combined goals.

Rookie defenseman Cole Hutson also made headlines in his NHL debut. The 19-year-old, a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, scored his first career goal with an empty-net tally in the final minute of regulation.

"I thought he was phenomenal," Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. "Right from the first shift, we wanted to get him out there quickly. His first shift was as good as any we've had all year. I don’t know if you could have drawn up a better first game for Cole Hutson in a Capitals jersey."

The Devils (35-31-2, 72 points) are chasing a fourth straight win after a 6-3 victory over the New York Rangers on Wednesday, improving to 7-2-0 in their last nine games.

"It was a well-played game," New Jersey captain Nico Hischier said. "We executed our game plan, and in the end, it was a deserved win. That’s what we’re aiming for—building consistency, having a brand, and playing the rest of the season like that."

Jack Hughes led New Jersey with a goal and two assists, marking his second consecutive three-point game and giving him nine points in a four-game streak. Hughes leads the Devils with 54 points (18 goals, 36 assists), tied with Jesper Bratt, who has 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in his past nine games.

-Field Level Media/Reuters