D16 Sunday, October 20, 1991 · · ·
Capitals Dominate Devils, 5-1, Solidify Hold Over Patrick
Dimitri Khristich puts the moves on Devils defense for two goals.
By Dave Sell
Washington Post Staff Writer
     EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ., Oct. 19—They can win here. They can win there. They can win almost anywhere.
     The New Jersey Devils could use a doctor—even Seuss, rest his soul—after this weekend because the Washington Capitals pasted them for a second straight time tonight. This time it was 5-1 and the Capitals looked impressive in many aspects in beating the Devils in front of 11,813 at Brendan Byrne Arena.
     Now 7-1 and atop the Patrick Division and the entire NHL, the Capitals had beaten the Devils, 6-5, Friday night at Capital Centre. Washington never trailed in this game either.
     Dimitri Khristich showed signs of why he may someday be one of this league's better player, scoring two goals. John Druce, after being benched for three games and scoreless in the other four, finally scored a goal and it turned out to be the game-winner, breaking a 1-1 tie in the first period.
.
WASHINGTON ........2 2 1 — 5
NEW JERSEY ........1 0 0 — 1
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1, Washington, Khristich 4 (Ciccaretii), 1:08. 2, New Jersey, Lemieux 5 (Stastny, Vulgarian), 12:04. 3, Washington, Druce I (Pivonka, Bondra), 17:13.
Penalties: Krygier, Was (roughing), 2:50; Hunter, Was (roughing), 5:49; Fetisov, NJ (holding), 12:49; Kypreos, Was (slashing), 19:11; Bushman, NJ (slashing), 19:11.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 4, Washington, Lalor I (Ridley, Miller), 1:52. 5, Washington, Khristich 5 (Krygier, Hatcher), 19:43.
Penalties: Boschman, NJ (holding), 3:56: Chorske, NJ (delay of game), 4:43; Greenlaw, Was (roughing), 9:53; Driver, NJ (roughing), 9:53; Lafrate, Was (holding), 14:17,
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 6, Washington, Ridley 5 (Krygier), 6:06.
Penalties: Langway, Was (booking), 1:07; Greenlaw, Was, major misconduct (fighting), 11:23; Hunter, Was, misconduct, 11:23; Kypreos, Was, misconduct, 11:23; Daneyko, NJ, major-misconduct (fighting), 11:23; Lemieux, NJ, misconduct, 11:23; Boschman, NJ, misconduct, 11:23; Krygier, Was (holding), 12:20; Pivonka, Was (tripping), 15:21.
SHOTS ON GOAL
Washington ....7 12 11 — 30
New Jersey ....8  6  6 — 20

 Power-play opportunities: Washington 0 of 3; New Jersey 0 of 6.
 Goalies: Washington, Hrivnak, 3-1-0 (20 Shots saves). New Jersey, Terreri, 4-4-0 (30-25).
 A: 11,813. Referee: Terry Gregson. Linesmen: 11,813. Referee: Pierre Champoux, Dan McCourt. 		.

     After a shaky performance in relief of Mike Liut on Friday, Jim Hrivnak played a solid game in goal. Hrivnak did not have to be spectacular because the defense was equally solid for most of the night.
     Mike Lalor and Mike Ridley had the other goals for the Capitals, who are now 3-0 on the road and 5-0 in the division. Claude Lemieux was the only Devil to post a goal, not enough to help goalie Chris Terreri.
     The Capitals grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first period of Friday's game and the Devils never fully recovered. So the Devils could not have been pleased with how this one started.
     The starters were still in their first shift when Khristich made the sort of the move team officials imagined him making. Dino Cinderella nudged the puck loose from the side boards, to the left of Terreri. Khristich collected the puck and only Devils defenseman Bruce Driver was between him the goal. Khristich made a fake, shifting the puck to the backhand side and held off Driver with his right arm as he cut across the slot.
     Once across, he slipped a backhand shot under Terreri, who seemed to go down a bit early. So, just 68 seconds had elapsed and the Capitals were ahead 1-0 on Khristich's fourth goal of the season.
     The Devils' fans, who have not packed this building, were not enthralled.
     "Put on the Rangers game," one lady yelled in a reminder of the second-class status of the Devils in the New York metropolitan area.
     But New Jersey didn't let it get too far away—at least not as quickly. Peter Stastny made a nifty little pass to Lemieux, who then made a niftier little move on Rod Langway and beat Hrivnak for a 1-1 tie with 7:56 left in the first period.
     But the tie evaporated as the Capitals wrapped two goals around the first intermission.
     The Capitals found themselves with a 3-on-l and were nearly guilty of not being selfish enough. The trio got closer and closer to Terreri and after what seemed like a dozen passes—the last being from Bondra—Druce flicked a wrist shot over the fallen Terreri as Druce himself was falling to the ice. That first goal and first point of the season for Druce gave the Capitals a 2-1 lead with 2:47 left in the period.
     The Devils had trouble clearing the front of the net and covering the Capitals defensemen this weekend. Al Lafrate—who would later be cut under the eye by a high stick—sent Todd Krygier in for a good chance. Terreri made that stop, but Kelly Miller and Mike Ridley both had wacks at it. The puck stayed loose long enough that Lalor slipped in and scored for his first goal of the season, second as a Capital and just the eighth in his 387-game NHL career.
     That improbable event came with just 1:52 gone in the second period. In the last minute of the second period, the Capitals wasted a 5-on-3 power play, but they scored again.
     Khristich came on for Ridley at the end of a long shift, though Krygier and Miller did not immediately get off. The puck came out to Krygier, who realized he had room to make something happen but not enough energy to generate it. He gave it up to the fresher Khristich, who blasted a slap shot over Terreri's glove hand.
     Just 17.1 seconds remained at that point, but the fans where not all thrilled. They booed the Devils as the team went to the dressing room and many did not wait for them to return.
     It was a wise choice, because with 6:06 gone in the third, the Devils let Ridley take three shots from the edge of the crease and he connected on the last of them for his fifth goal and a 5-1 lead.

[Main Page]