Saturday, the New Jersey Devils lost, 4-1 against the Ottawa Senators. It was another frustrating one as the team thought they had tied the game in the final minutes, only for the goal to be taken off the board. The loss drops New Jersey to 28-25-2 on the season.
Recap
Period One
The Devils got off to a hot start Saturday night collecting five of the first six shots. However, two failed power plays killed their momentum and when Ottawa got their first man-advantage they capitalized. Brady Tkachuk fired home a perfectly timed shot past Jake Allen to put Ottawa up 1-0.
With the period winding down however, Cody Glass made a nice play to get Timo Meier the puck, who elevated the puck over Linus Ullmark and in. The game was tied heading into the first intermission.
Period Two
The Devils and Senators played a pretty even second period with both teams getting their share of chances. The Devils were able to complete their first successful penalty kill against Ottawa this season as well. Jake Allen and Linus Ullmark both made some great stops to keep their teams in the game which remained tied 1-1 after two.
Period Three
The Ottawa Senators and their deadly power play would strike again early in the period with a goal from Dylan Cozens. The Devils were trailing again but had plenty of time to get to work. With time winding down in the third period, the Devils went on their fifth power play of the game. In the final minute of the power play, Connor Brown thought he had tied the game, only for it to be overturned by the officials.
Following an unsuccessful remainder of the power play, Ottawa was able to capitalize for their first five-on-five goal against the Devils this season. Tim Stutzle just got the puck over the pad and past Allen to seal the game for the Senators. A Shane Pinto empty netter was the icing on the cake of a 4-1 loss for the Devils.
Game Notes
Linus Ullmark’s Return
Linus Ullmark had not played in a game since December 27 before Saturday due to taking an extended personal leave. The Senators’ goaltender who had an .881 save percentage (SV%) and -9.14 goals saved above expected (GSAx) before Saturday was rock solid in net. Ullmark stopped 26-of-27 shots for a .963 SV% and 0.68 GSAx against the Devils tonight. A great story for 31 teams, but not New Jersey.
Special Teams Sinks
The Devils have played two games against the Ottawa Senators this season. In those contests, the Devils’ power play is 0-for-8 and their penalty kill is 1-for-6. Having just one successful trip on special teams in two special-teams-heavy games is not a good recipe for success. It was what shot the Devils in the foot Saturday.
What’s Next
The Devils next game is at home, Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets at 7:00 pm ET.