Evan Rodrigues had a goal and an assist, and Lenni Hameenaho and Stefan Noesen, who were recalled from Utica on Wednesday, also scored. Arseny Gritsyuk had two assists for the Devils (14-6-0), who have won six of their past seven games (6-1-0).

“We just stick to our game and let our natural talent take over, and that’s the way it’s got to be,” Rodrigues said. “We did a great job of defending and letting the game come to us.”

Connor Hellebuyck made 26 saves and is 6-0-0 since being traded to New Jersey from the Winnipeg Jets on Oct. 23.

Ryan Leonard and Pierre-Luc Dubois each scored, and Logan Thompson made 24 saves for the Capitals (10-7-0), who had won two straight.

“You knew the third period was going to come down to which team could impose their will and who can win plays more consistently for 20 minutes, and we ended up cracking,” Washington coach Spencer Carbery said. “With two good teams, the margins for victory are (thin). One play here and one play there, and tonight we were on the wrong end of it.”

The Devils won their seventh straight game on home ice, tied for the fifth longest streak in Kansas City Scouts/Colorado Rockies/Devils history.

Rodrigues gave the Devils a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 2:20 of the first period. Timo Meier skated down the left wing before passing to Rodrigues for the snap shot in the right face-off circle.

Leonard tied the game 1-1 with a power-play goal off a backhand at 14:10. Cole Hutson made it possible, shielding the puck just over the blue line before feathering a pass through two defenders to Leonard skating to the slot. It was Washington’s seventh shot of the power play.

“They’re a good team,” Hutson said. “They’re hard to play against for sure and they have a good top six. Definitely tough to defend.”

Dubois gave Washington a 2-1 lead on a snap shot along the ice from the right circle, beating Hellebuyck inside the left post at 2:11 of the second period.

Hameenaho, also making his season-debut for the Devils, evened it 2-2 off a net-front deflection at 9:51. Brenden Dillon took the initial shot from the top of the left circle.

“I feel like you don’t get many chances to score (in the NHL) or don’t have the puck too much, so (net front) is the place to score those ugly goals,” Hameenaho said. “Obviously I’m trying to get there, even if it’s not my goal, to screen goalies to get goals for the team.”