WASHINGTON -- The struggling New Jersey Devils got a huge lift from their goaltender Thursday night.

Keith Kinkaid stopped 43 shots, Michael Cammalleri and Jacob Josefson scored shootout goals and the Devils defeated the Washington Capitals 2-1 at Verizon Center.

"We had excellent goaltending tonight," Devils coach John Hynes said. "We were under siege there quite a bit for parts of the game and we had to be willing to be able to defend hard."

The Devils (14-15-7) scored on both their shootout attempts on Braden Holtby while Kinkaid, spectacular all night, stopped T.J. Oshie (3-for-3 in shootout attempts coming in) and Evgeny Kuznetsov.

"I think the whole team needed that," Kinkaid said of the win by a Devils team that came in 1-8-1 in their last 10 while averaging 1.6 goals per game. "That could change the season."

The 43 saves was the second-most this season for the 27-year-old Kinkaid, who was making his ninth start and first since Dec. 17.

"A hot goalie. He played really well," Washington's Jay Beagle said. "They also defended really well. They kept us to the outside. We were getting shots, but they made it tough to get into the perimeter on him.

"We had chances, but just couldn't bury them."

New Jersey's PA Parenteau scored in the second period and Daniel Winnik tied it in the third for Washington (20-9-5).

Holtby, who made a pad save on Adam Henrique in alone midway through the overtime to preserve the tie, made 26 saves, but fell to 0-4 in shootouts this season.

"I haven't had much success at all. Haven't been doing like I have in the past," he said. "One of those things I need to get back to watching film on what I was doing in the past, what I can do different. It's one of those things I need to get better at if we're going to get those extra points."

Washington couldn't solve Kinkaid during the first two periods and trailed 1-0, but got the equalizer early in the third.

With New Jersey on a power play, Winnik and Jay Beagle came in on the rush and Kinkaid made the initial stop on Winnik. Beagle got to the puck behind the net. He passed behind him to Winnik in front. Kinkaid made one save, but Winnik banged home the rebound home for his fifth of the season at 3:50 of the period.

It was the fifth short-handed goal allowed by the Devils this season.

Kinkaid remained solid. He lunged backward on the ice with 6:30 left to make his 35th save at the post on a wraparound attempt by Nicklas Backstrom.

"I don't exactly remember how I got in that position," Kinkaid said, "but I was kind of shaking my head at myself and was just happy he didn't put that one in."

Kinkaid was tested throughout the night. In the waning seconds of the period, he came way out of his net and made a nice split save on a blast from Matt Niskanen.

The Devils took advantage of a Capitals' miscue to go ahead early in the second period. Kuznetsov attempted a no-look pass deep in his own zone and the puck went right to Parenteau in the slot. He took his time and fired past Holtby on the stick side for his 10th of the season at 1:05.

Six minutes into the second, Kinkaid stopped Winnik alone in front on a 2-on-1 break. Then, with New Jersey on a power play, Washington's Beagle came in on a breakaway, but Kinkaid got his pad on it to maintain the 1-0 lead.

NOTES: The Devils had lost seven straight games against the Capitals. ... Capitals RW Alex Ovechkin (873) passed Dale Hunter for fourth place on the team's games played list. ... Devils C Jacob Josefson (concussion) returned after missing five games. LW Luke Gazdic, recalled from Albany of the AHL on Wednesday and rookie D Yohann Auvitu, recalled Tuesday, were both in the lineup. Rookie C Pavel Zacha, scoreless in his last nine games, and D Jon Merrill were healthy scratches, and RW Taylor Hall (lower-body injury) is day-to-day. ... Capitals rookie RW Jakub Vrana and D Taylor Chorney were healthy scratches. ... The teams play the back end of the home-and-home Saturday at Prudential Center.