WASHINGTON (AP) — Alex Ovechkin scored twice to lead the Washington Capitals past the New Jersey Devils 3-0 for their ninth victory in 10 games. They’re back in first place in the NHL’s East Division. Ilya Samsonov made 24 saves for his first shutout in more than 14 months. Nicklas Backstrom and Conor Sheary also scored, while Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson each had two assists. Ovechkin’s goals give him a team-best 17 this season and 723 in his career. New Jersey has lost two in a row to Washington after winning four of its previous five.
