After a commanding 4-1 win over the Canucks on Saturday, the New Jersey Devils (2-2-0, 5th Metropolitan) will end their homestand against the Ottawa Senators (4-1-0, 2nd Atlantic) at the Prudential Center tonight.
Overview
The Devils wiped the bad taste of two losses in a row out of their mouths with the win over Vancouver. They’ll look to get into a rhythm Monday in the first game of their first back-to-back of the year.
Morale was low after allowing 11 goals against the Islanders and Mammoth, but Jake Allen had a nice bounce back game in the crease, an important sign considering the question marks surrounding that position group.
So far, the skaters the Devils expect to perform have done so as advertised. Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt led the way against Vancouver, while newcomers like Luke Evangelista and Amadeus Lombardi have already made their marks. The Devils will need to get momentum going against a hot Ottawa team.
That hot start for the Senators has certainly come in the face of adversity. Their best defenseman, Jake Sanderson, got hurt in the season opener against the Maple Leafs, while Cam Crotty went on injured reserve after missing two games due to an illness. That’s not to mention the key players that left Ottawa after last season, including Brady Tkachuk and Tomas Chabot.
The Senators have won despite these challenges, thanks in no small part to Tim Stützle, their star center who has four goals and eight points through five games. Only time will tell if Ottawa can sustain this hot start despite this adversity, but another win tonight will go a long way to prove that they’re legit.
Lines and Pairings
Devils-
Forwards
Mantha-Hughes-Bratt
Meier-Hischier-Evangelista
Gritsyuk-Rodrigues-Mercer
Lombardi-Glass-Boqvist
Defense
Hughes-Pesce
Siegenthaler-Hamilton
Dillion-Kovacevic
Goalies
Jake Allen
Nico Daws
Senators-
Forwards
Burakovsky-Stützle-Batherson
Amadio-Pinto-Giroux
Greig-Cozens-Zetterlund
Foegele-Halliday-Cousins
Defense
Chabot-Spence
Kleven-Yakemchuk
Matinpalo-Stanley
Goalies
Ullmark
Ersson
What to Watch For
Kovacevic’s Return
The Devils activated defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic off injured reserve on Saturday. Kovacevic, a reliable defenseman with the ability to contribute some offense, has been on the shelf since he underwent knee surgery in May. That surgery came on the heels of a disappointing season in which he only played 34 games.
Kovacevic will look to get back to his strong form from 2024-25, when he played in 81 games and notched a career-best 17 points. He’ll slot in nicely on the Devils’ bottom pair.
Linus Ullmark Looks For Redemption
The Senators’ goaltender, Linus Ullmark, had a rough go of things last year, but his strong start has propelled Ottawa to start the year. He had a poor start to last season, and his .890 save percentage and 3.48 goals saved above expected (GSAx) never quite recovered. This season, however, Ullmark has a perfect 4-0-0 record, a .941 SV% and 5.60 GSAx.
After a rocky offseason, the Senators would surely appreciate it if Ullmark returns to his Vezina-winning ways this season.
Where to Watch
Tonight’s game can be seen on MSGSN (local market) and NHL Network (national) at 7:00 p.m. ET.