The Devils put out the Capitals

Nemec wins it in the fourth shootout round

Ovechkin's last shot

Alex Ovechkin had already dragged the Washington Capitals back from two goals down. In the fourth round of the shootout he got one more shot to keep them alive, and he missed. Then Simon Nemec, a New Jersey Devils defenseman, scored, and Washington's candle went dark at Capital One Arena.

This was a quarterfinal, and on last season's form it was an upset. The Capitals finished 2nd in the league, the Devils 16th. Washington had snuffed the Islanders and the Rangers to get here. New Jersey had ended the Lightning on qualification night, the same club that knocked the Devils out of last season's Gauntlet. Now only six flames still burn.

Two up, then caught

Washington handed New Jersey chances early. Tom Wilson went off for hooking at 1:23, Nic Dowd for high sticking at 3:15, and at 5:05 Arseny Gritsyuk ripped a power-play slap shot home. Luke Hughes, a defenseman, assisted on that one and then scored himself with a snap shot at 17:46, set up by Brenden Dillon and Jesper Bratt.

The Devils' lead held until 1:00 of the third, 23:14 after Hughes scored, when Connor McMichael snapped one in off Ovechkin's feed. At 8:29 Ovechkin returned the favor and snapped in the tying goal. Jake Allen and Logan Thompson each stopped 29 of 31 shots.

Four rounds of nerve

Dylan Strome scored first in the shootout and Paul Cotter missed. Bratt answered. McMichael, Gritsyuk and Ovechkin all missed, which left it to Nemec, and New Jersey burns on.