As the No. 2 goaltender on a team with one of the NHL's upper-echelon netminders, Keith Kinkaid is well aware of the paradox of his professional existence. He wants to play as much as he can, but also knows that if he is between the pipes, it means Cory Schneider, one of the most important players on the Devils, is not in action.

There can be long stretches of inaction, such as Kinkaid's run on the bench between his Dec. 9 start at Madison Square Garden and his 27 saves to earn a point on Jan. 2 in St. Louis. With Schneider ill on Tuesday, Kinkaid got the nod in Brooklyn and made 25 saves in a 4-1 win over the Islanders.

On Thursday, with Schneider well enough to dress but still not fully himself, Kinkaid got the chance to make back-to-back starts for the first time since Schneider was injured in October. It also was Kinkaid's first appearance on home ice since an Oct. 27 win over the Senators.

"Any time is good time," Kinkaid said after he backstopped the Devils to a 4-3 overtime win against the Capitals. "I'm having fun with it, and I think we're all having fun with it, now that we're off the six-game slide. It's fun, a fun atmosphere to be at home, and have the fans really into it. … I think it shows confidence in me to go back with me. I'll take anything, and I just want to be there for the team, do my job, whether that's to work hard in practice for the extra guys and whatnot, or a good game."

Video: 1/18 NJD vs. WSH Postgame: Keith Kinkaid

Kinkaid has given the Devils two good games in a row, earning four points against Metropolitan Division rivals. Thursday's game did not go exactly according to plan, with three goals allowed on 19 shots - including Brett Connolly's equalizer with 3:48 remaining in the third period - but the 28-year-old from Farmingville, N.Y., ultimately kept doing what he has been doing all season, which is to provide vital stability in Schneider's stead.

"He's been a big part of our team," Devils coach John Hynes said. "You have to have two goalies who can help you win, and it's nice, when you put Keith in, and your team feels confident in the goaltender. I think everyone in the room believes he gives us a chance to win every night. I know he's a very confident kid. It's nice to see him get rewarded.

"Sometimes being the backup goalie, you can go long stretches without playing, but I think the way he's practiced and learned with Rollie (goaltending coach Roland Melanson), for him to be able to come in and play the way he has, he's a big part of our team. We're going to need a bunch more performances from him this second half of the year, like he's done the last two games."

Neither Kinkaid nor anyone else knows exactly when his next action will be, though with three games in four nights on the schedule for next week, one more start before the All-Star break would figure to be in the cards. Whenever he next appears, Kinkaid will have a chance to match his win total from last season.

Making 23 starts among 26 games played, Kinkaid was 8-13-3 a year ago, following up a career high in wins the previous season, when he was 9-9-1. This season, Kinkaid has gone 7-3-2 in 11 starts and two relief appearances.

"We have total confidence in him," said Taylor Hall, who scored the overtime winner on Thursday night. "He's a gamer. He's a guy that relishes that opportunity. It's hard as a backup goalie. You don't get that rhythm. You don't get that playing every second day and shots every day. So, you know, when he comes in, it's huge that he can play as well as he has."

Kinkaid was not entirely thrilled with how well he played in allowing the Capitals to salvage a point, but he did make several key stops, including one on an all-alone Connolly in a frantic first minute of the game. That save helped Kinkaid get himself into the action, paving the way for a night that, even with a few pucks getting past him, was another positive step in what has been a very positive season.

"I felt maybe the best I've felt, confidence and aggressiveness-wise," Kinkaid said. "Three goals on 19 shots, there's always stuff to work on, and get back to your game, but a win's a win, and I'll definitely take it.