Capitals 3, Devils 2 (OT): Defenseman Matt Niskanen scored on a blast from above the left faceoff circle 1:13 into overtime as host Washington posted its fourth win in five games.

Niskanen and fellow blue-liner Karl Alzner each finished with a goal and an assist while Eric Fehr also tallied for the Eastern Conference wild card-leading Capitals, who finished 4-1-0 in the season series against New Jersey. Braden Holtby turned aside 29 shots as Washington climbed within one point of Pittsburgh for third place in the Metropolitan Division.

Travis Zajac and Steve Bernier scored for the Devils, who have totaled three goals during their three-game losing streak. Cory Schneider finished with 21 saves as New Jersey recorded six tallies in its five meetings with the Capitals.

Washington grabbed an early lead as Alzner beat Schneider to the short side from the left faceoff circle 2:51 into the contest. Fehr doubled the advantage 95 seconds into the middle session, when his shot from the right point hit a defender's stick and sailed under the crossbar.

The Devils halved the deficit while short-handed with 5:19 remaining in the period as Zajac buried the rebound of Patrik Elias' shot from the doorstep. Bernier forced overtime with 29.2 seconds left in the third, converting Scott Gomez's pass from behind the net.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Fehr's goal was his 19th of the season, two shy of his career high set in 2009-10. ... Capitals D Tim Gleason was back in the lineup after missing two games with an upper-body injury and posted a plus-1 rating in 14:09 of ice time. ... Washington captain Alex Ovechkin, who leads the league with 47 goals, has scored in just one of his last six contests.