Caps take 3-goal lead, roll to win over slumping Devils

NEWARK, N.J. » Based on recent results, the Washington Capitals are getting used to coach Peter Laviolette’s new system.

They are even winning games when Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Ovechkin don’t contribute a point.

Garnet Hathaway and Daniel Sprong scored in the opening 5:06 and the streaking Capitals opened an early three-goal lead and held off a rally by the slumping New Jersey Devils in a 5-2 win on Saturday.

Lars Eller, who added the third goal in a big opening period, thinks Washington is hitting its stride in a 5-1-1 run that followed a four-game losing streak.

“I think Pittsburgh (Thursday) was maybe our best game of the season and today we finally came out with a really good start, we were on our toes, all four lines were going,” Eller said. “I’m encouraged by what I’ve seen here lately, but especially the last two games more so maybe, and then the last five, seven or so.”

Nico

Hischier and

Pavel Zacha each scored for the second consecutive game for New Jersey, which has lost four of five. Mackenzie Blackwood had 19 saves as the Devils opened a five-game homestand.

Devils coach Lindy Ruff said the opening period was dreadful.

“We weren’t ready to play,” Ruff said. “We weren’t ready to compete. We turned a lot of pucks over and looked like we wanted to be a little bit of a fancy team, because our wall battles weren’t great to start the game. I thought the last 40, that’s the team I like to see. But totally unacceptable in the first 20.”

PREDATORS 2, BLUE JACKETS 1 » Mattias Ekholm scored a pair of second-period goals, and Juuse Saros made 29 saves for Nashville, a winner of three of the last four games. Saros earned his first victory since Jan. 27. Saros’ fellow Finn Pekka Rinne has taken a larger share of the goaltending duties for Nashville in the month of February. FLAMES 6, SENATORS 3 » Juuso Valimaki, Mikael Backlund, Elias Lindholm, Sean Monahan, Andrew Mangiapane and Matthew Tkachuk scored for the Flames, who ended Ottawa’s three-game win streak.