National Hockey League results | Friday

Capitals 4, Devils 0

WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin scored twice, Ilya Samsonov made 24 saves and the Washington Capitals rode their best players to a victory and two-game sweep of the New Jersey Devils.

Ovechkin has scored 10 times in his past 10 games and has a team-best 17 goals this season. He’s eight shy of Marcel Dionne for fifth on the NHL’s career goal list after scoring his 722nd and 723rd.

Nicklas Backstrom scored his 13th goal of the season, while Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson each had two assists. Conor Sheary had a goal and an assist, and Samsonov improved to 7-1-1 with his first shutout since Jan. 13, 2020.

With Ovechkin rolling, the Capitals have won nine of their past 10 games and are back atop the East Division. They’re tied at 48 points with former coach Barry Trotz’s New York Islanders but hold the tiebreaker having played one fewer game.

Washington looked more like itself — a poised, veteran team — in the second game against New Jersey in two nights following four days off. While they came back to win Thursday, the Capitals never trailed in this one, their sixth in a row without center Lars Eller because of a lower-body injury.

Much like early in the season when they were without Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, Samsonov and Dmitry Orlov simultaneously and earlier this month when Wilson was suspended for seven games, the Capitals keep showing they can play at a high level without key contributors. T.J. Oshie shifted to center to take Eller’s usual spot, and Daniel Sprong looked comfortable on the first line with Ovechkin and Kuznetsov.

Backstrom has been a constant as Washington’s best player and leads the team with 35 points.

Ducks 4, Blues 1

San Jose at Arizona, late Winnipeg at Calgary, late