The New Jersey Devils lost 2-1 to the Ottawa Senators on Sunday afternoon at the Prudential Center. A promising start to the game quickly dwindled as the Devils couldn’t finish their chances and eventually stopped generating many chances altogether. With the loss, the Devils fell to 26-17-6, while the Senators improved to 24-18-4.
Game Recap
Period One
The Devils were hot out of the gate, putting nine shots on Anton Forsberg without allowing a shot on their own net.
New Jersey kept up the intense pressure and eventually drew a penalty when Paul Cotter was tripped down with just over three minutes left in the period.
The Devils had one good look on the power play but couldn’t light the lamp.
New Jersey outshot the Senators 16-2 in a completely dominant first 20 minutes but went to the locker room tied at zero.
Period Two
New Jersey was on the front foot early in the second. They had extended O-zone time and rang a shot off the post but still couldn’t find the back of the net.
The Senators got a chance from the slot, but Jacob Markstrom was there to make his first big save of the game.
Timo Meier had a good look off the rush, but the game remained scoreless.
Ottawa broke through at 13:16 with Zack Ostapchuk’s first NHL goal, a shot fired through Brenden Dillon’s legs that snuck past Markstrom. Michael Amadio and Matthew Highmore had the assists.
The Devils answered right back, thanks to their fourth line. Tomas Tatar drove the net and found the loose puck to get New Jersey the tying goal at 14:34. Curtis Lazar and Luke Hughes tallied the assists.
The Devils were tagged with a hooking penalty with roughly four minutes left in the period, but they successfully killed it off.
New Jersey was outshot 10-7 in the period.
Period Three
Ottawa had the edge in play and grabbed the lead just 2:50 into the period with a shot from distance by Artem Zub for his second goal of the season. Shane Pinto had the lone assist.
The Devils took a penalty minutes later but killed it without allowing a shot.
Nico Hischier had a great chance in front of Ottawa’s net, but his shot was deflected wide.
The Devils took another penalty at the halfway point of the period but, again, the penalty killer came up big to hold the Senators without a shot.
The Senators had a two-on-one break, but Luke Hughes made a great read to eliminate any scoring chance.
Sheldon Keefe pulled his netminder, but it was unsuccessful, and the Devils lost another low-scoring contest.
New Jersey outshot Ottawa 26-20 in the loss.
Takeaways
Goal Drought
Ultimately, the recent losses that have piled up for the Devils come down to a lack of goal-scoring.
It’s been 11 games since New Jersey scored more than three goals, a slump that began on December 28th, when they lost 5-2 to the Carolina Hurricanes. During that time, they scored just 20 goals, an average of under two goals per game. Before December 28th, they averaged over three goals per game.
Against the Senators specifically, the Devils had their most dominant period of the season statistically but couldn’t put the puck behind Forsberg. Forsberg, for reference, has a 5-8-1 record this season and a .888 SV%.
If the Devils are to break out of this slump, it will have to start with New Jersey’s best players consistently generating chances and, more importantly, finishing them. They must clean up their passes in the neutral and offensive zones to earn sustained possession time and, additionally, funnel more pucks to the net.
As good as the Devils were in the first period against Ottawa, when they put 16 shots on net, they had just ten shots in the rest of the game. Looking at the previous game against the Flyers, New Jersey only had 13 shots in the whole game. The Devils should look to increase shot quantities from all areas of the ice to try and generate second and third opportunities in front of the net. With the puck bouncing down low, they might have more luck getting shots on goaltenders.
Improved Defense
Despite the loss, New Jersey’s defense has looked much better in recent games. After the holiday break, there was a stretch where the Devils’ defense was leaking frequent high-danger chances, but that seems to have been resolved. They allowed just 18 shots to the Flyers and 20 to the Senators.
Especially against Ottawa, the Devils did well to prevent dangerous looks. Neither goal by the Senators was a grade-A opportunity, but with traffic in front of the net, the puck found its way in. Unfortunately for New Jersey, with the offense so quiet, there is no room for error by either goaltender. Markstrom would have had to have been perfect for the Devils to collect at least a point.
Up Next
The Devils look to break out of their offensive slump on Wednesday night when they take on the Boston Bruins at the Rock.
This is the first of three meetings between the two clubs this season.
The Bruins sit 5th in the Atlantic Division with a 22-19-6 record. Like the Devils, Boston has also struggled in recent games and has a 3-5-2 record in the last ten games. They take on the San Jose Sharks on Monday afternoon in Boston.
Puck drop in New Jersey is set for 7:00 p.m. on MSGSN, MESN and NHLN.
Of note, the Devils are inducting Jacques Lemaire, the franchise’s winningest head coach and Stanley Cup winner, into the Devils Ring of Honor during a pregame ceremony on Wednesday. Fans should prepare for a potentially delayed start time.
ITR 32: The Final Countdown – Inside The Rink
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