East Division Update - March 30th

There were just two games in the division tonight, both of which were surprising results. The Devils traveled to Boston again for another game against the Bruins, and the Caps traveled to New York for a date with the Rangers. My analysis of these two games below.

(Image Credits: 1 - Boston Globe, 2 - Jaspers' Rink)

DEVILS @ BRUINS

This one was sure to be good, especially after the Devils shutout these same Bruins 1-0 last night. The Bruins were slumping and that was no secret. The loss of goaltender Tukka Rask to injury has really hurt this Bruins team, and Jaroslav Halak has not been his usual self either. The Devils pushed the pace for the majority of this game, leading 4-2 after the second period. The Bruins knew they couldn't afford to lose another one, and pushed back hard evening the game at 4. The contest would need overtime and a shootout before a winner was decided. The Bruins prevailed in the shootout, winning 5-4 and get a MUCH needed two points. The Devils threw away another good effort, which is a big reason why they remain near the bottom of the standings. Mackenzie Blackwood continues his stellar play for the Devils, making 44 saves in this one despite the loss.

Scoring:

Devils: Miles Wood (11), Michael McLeod (5), Travis Zajac (5), Kyle Palmieri (8).

Shootout - No Goals.

Bruins: Nick Ritchie (10), Brad Marchand (13-PPG), Charlie McAvoy (4), Matt Grzelcyk (3).

Shootout - Charlie Coyle, David Pasternak.

CAPITALS @ RANGERS

The Rangers and Caps have met an awful lot lately, which makes for some intense matchups. This one tonight was no different but saw the Rangers pushing the pace as opposed to Washington, who has been hot lately. The Capitals started off with an early lead, but couldn't sustain enough pressure on the Rangers defense to keep that lead. The Capitals carried a 2-1 advantage through 40 minutes, but got lazy and outplayed in the third, giving up 4 en-route to a 5-2 loss at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers nearly comeback to beat the Capitals on Sunday in D.C. but found a way to do it here tonight. This win was a big boost for the Blueshirts, especially since they have cooled a little bit these last few games. As for Washington, this loss could come back to bite them with the Penguins and the Islanders right on their heels in the standings.

Scoring:

Capitals: T.J. Oshie (9-PPG), Nic Dowd (7).

Rangers: Filip Chytil (6), Kappo Kakko (5), Adam Fox (4), Artemi Panarin (9), Pavel Buchnevich (14-SHG).

Standings Update After Tonight:

1. Washington - 50 Points

2. NY Islanders - 48 Points

3. Pittsburgh - 48 Points

4. Boston - 41 Points

5. Philidelphia - 38 Points

6. NY Rangers - 36 Points

7. New Jersey - 31 Points

8. Buffalo - 17 Points