The time to wait for the next matchup did not take long. After taking on the Philadelphia Flyers Saturday afternoon, the Devils keep the homestand going and take on the Ottawa Senators. The Senators also played Saturday, so both teams are entering a back to back situation.
Matchup Overview
After coming off an unimpressive road trip, the Devils returned home and got a much needed victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, since then, they are on quite the skid and have lost three games in a row. The Devils fought hard in what was a stingy defensive game against the Panthers, but lost in the shootout. They then lost in overtime to the Toronto Maple Leafs and suffered a brutal defeat to the Flyers yesterday afternoon. Common theme for the Devils has been their finishing ability.
Despite generating 2.9 expected goals against Florida, they scored one. They also managed to generate 2.46 against Philly and scored one. The offense being generated is there, but the finishing ability is not. It is something they’ll look for against the Senators.
As for the Senators, they are coming off a big comeback victory over the Boston Bruins. They are getting closer and closer to the wild card spot, so it presents a good test for the Devils. The Senators have been without goaltender Linus Ullmark, but have managed to weather that storm in a big way. They’ve been playing better hockey as of late, going 4-2 in their last six games. They have a pair of shutout victories and losses, so quite the mixed bag of results.
Projected Lineup
New Jersey Devils
Forwards
Palat-Hughes-Bratt
Meier-Hischier-Noesen
Cotter-Mercer-Halonen
Tatar-Lazar-Bastian
Defense
Dillon-Hamilton
Hughes-Pesce
Siegenthaler-Kovacevic
Goalies
Allen
Markstrom
Ottawa Senators
Forwards
Tkachuk-Norris-Batherson
Giroux-Stutzle-Gaudette
Cousins-Pinto-Greig
Highmore-Ostapchuk-Amadio
Defense
Sanderson-Zub
Chabot-Jensen
Kleven-Matinpalo
Goalies
Forsberg
Merilainen
What to Watch For
Devils Finishing Ability Needs to Improve
As mentioned above, the Devils finishing ability needs to be better. There is no denying the talent that is on this roster, but it needs to show its true firepower. Sunday presents a great opportunity for the Devils to do so.
When it comes to five-on five-play, the Senators have given up 80.5 expected goals against and have allowed 86 goals. The Devils have been an offensive machine in terms of generating offense with 104.18 expected goals. The Devils should very much be the better five-on-five team and have a good opportunity to showcase their firepower. The Bruins put up five goals against them and they’ve been a team that’s struggled all year in that department.
Special Teams Play
With both teams entering the second of a back-to-back set, mental mistakes could be a thing. One factor that could lead to a victory in special teams play. When it comes to scoring goals on the power play, both teams sit in the top six. The Devils sit third with 38 power play goals and the Senators are sixth with 34. The Devils’ penalty kill has been good overall this year and will need to be against this Senators.
Where to Watch
Todays puck drop is 1:00 pm ET and can be found on MSG.