Junior Capitals Exorcise Devils

The Washington Junior Capitals got back to winning ways with a 4-3 victory in a penalty-filled affair against the New Jersey Junior Devils on Day 24. Zbynek Novak and Cory Urquhart led the way with two assists each, while Gennady Stolyarov added a goal and an assist. Washington improves to 3-9 with the victory.

Neither team scored in a hard-fought first period, but both sides had plenty of chances. The Capitals squandered three power play opportunities, while the Devils missed on two.

Washington finally opened the scoring with a pair of goals just 18 seconds apart early in the second. Fabien Laniel scored the first from Stolyarov and Urquhart at 1:44, and Stolyarov made it 2-0 from Brett Carson and Urquhart at 2:02. After killing a pair of minor penalties, the Capitals made it 3-0 when Patrick O'Sullivan netted from Peter Pohl and Novak at 8:59. Washington had several chances to make it 4-0, but the team missed on three power place chances after O'Sullivan's goal.

New Jersey began to fight back in the final period, and Vondrka made it 3-1 when he scored from Keith and Kubista at 1:39. The Capitals responded to the Devils goal with one of their own from Lance Moynch at 8:08. Novak and Greg Mauldin assisted on the goal. The game looked to be won for Washington, but a pair of New Jersey goals in a 23-second span late in the period made it close. Pohanka netted from Keith on the power play at 16:11 to make it 4-2, before Vondrka scored from Kaigorodov and Drouin-Deslaurier at 16:34 to cut it to 4-3. A late fight between Mauldin and New Jersey's Demarchi brought the crowd to their feet, but neither team gained an edge in the draw.

Washington held on for the victory thanks to Brad Topping's 23 saves. Jeff Drouin-Deslaurier stopped 19 shots in the losing effort.

The Junior Capitals return to action on Day 27 at home against Colorado.