Here are some observations from the game:

• New Jersey hadn’t scored more than two goals in a game dating back to December 13 against the Anaheim Ducks. New Jersey’s offense has dried up over the last two weeks

In the 12 games played in the month of December, the Devils have scored three or more goals just four times, including Saturday’s contest, the other two being losses, 8-4 to Tampa, and 5-3 to Columbus.

“It was good to see some pucks go into the net for those guys up front,” Allen said. “It’s a good feeling. We created some momentum there in the second and in the third. You’ve got to take a lot of decent things away from (the game).”

• At 8:02 of the first period, the Capitals thought they had taken a 1-0 lead when a 3-on-2 rush up the ice resulted in a goal by Dylan Strome. However, the Devils’ bench called for an offside review. It didn’t take long to notice on the replay that Strome did, in fact, enter the offensive zone well before his teammate carrying the puck crossed the line, thus resulting in the goal being overturned and the score returning to 0-0.

• The Capitals took their first official lead of the game with just 0.4 seconds remaining in the opening period. Alex Ovechkin showed great awareness in the dying seconds, firing the puck from the half wall toward the net. With the Devils’ high forward Arseny Gritsyuk unable to pick him up, Aliaksei Protas slipped in from the top of the circle and tapped the puck past Jake Allen. It marked the latest goal the Devils have surrendered in any period this season.

“It’s so tight, if you can just keep that puck contained, it’s not going to get to our net,” Keefe said. “Or if you do turn it over, recognize there’s not a lot of time left and you can just hold the net-front and take away any of the danger, I thought Jake maybe could have got his stick on that as well and helped us and prevent it from going across. Those things add up.”

•Jesper Bratt continues to climb the ranks on the Devils’ all-time lists. His power play goal against the Capitals was his 477th career point, all with New Jersey, to pass Scott Niedermayer for the sixth most points all-time in franchise history.

• Bratt’s second goal, which tied the game at 2–2, and Glass’s eventual winner came just 32 seconds apart.

• Although not quite mathematically the halfway point of the season, coming off the holiday break has felt like an unofficial halfway mark. The game against the Capitals also marked a stretch of 15 games in 30 days and 20 games in 41 days leading up to the Olympic break.