Overview

If you’re a New Jersey Devils’ fan chances are you haven’t had a great week. After a thrilling win last Sunday against the Philadelphia Flyers the Devils have dropped three straight. Those games haven’t even been close. All three feats have been by three goals or more. 

The Devils return from a mini road trip to the Prudential Center for Monday night. This of course is the rescheduled game from last month. The Ottawa Senators come in after earning just their sixth win of the season on Saturday. That was an overtime win over the preseason Stanley Cup favorite Colorado Avalanche. 

Keys To The Game

Score First and Get The Lead:

During the Devils’ three-game losing streak the other team has scored first every time. During the losing streak, the Devils have only had the lead once. That was in the glorious five or so minutes in the second period against the Winnipeg Jets. We know how that turned out, though. 

Keep Building on the Power Play:

The Devils finally got a power play goal in Friday’s loss. Instead of being 32nd in the NHL, they’re now 30th. Stick taps for the big improvement (that was sarcasm, for those who didn’t catch on). Considering Ottawa had a bottom-four penalty kill unit entering Monday’s game, maybe New Jersey can build some confidence on the man advantage. 

Play the First Period:

Anyone who watched Friday’s game knows that the shot total from the first period was deceiving. Shots were an even 12-12, yet the play was always in the Devils’ zone. And the defense couldn’t keep the puck from getting too close to a struggling Jonathan Bernier. Connor Helleybuck must have gotten pretty lonely at the other end of the ice. 

Players To Watch:

Jack Hughes:

Hughes recorded his first goal since coming back from a long injury layoff. Pregame lineups have him slotted back into his natural position at center. Maybe a goal against a team that leads the league in goals allowed will have him look like he did in that opening night win against the Chicago Blackhawks. 

Mackenzie Blackwood:

Goaltending laid a giant goose egg for the Devils in Friday’s loss. That includes Blackwood, who entered in relief of Bernier in the third period. Blackwood is sure to get the start in front of Monday’s home crowd. 

Josh Norris:

Remember when everyone thought the return to Ottawa in the Erik Karlsson to the San Jose Sharks trade wasn’t a lot? Take one look at Josh Norris and you might start to think Ottawa won the trade. The main piece of the package that headed to Canada’s capital has 17 points in 22 games this season, including five in his last four games played. He enters Monday on a four-game point streak. 

Projected Lineups

New Jersey Devils’

Forwards:

Pavel Zacha-Nico Hischier-Jesper Bratt

Andreas Johnsson-Jack Hughes-Yegor Sharangovich

Tomas Tatar-Dawson Mercer-Jimmy Vesey

Janne Kuokkanen-Michael McLeod-Nathan Bastian/Jesper Boqvist

Defensemen:

Ryan Graves-Dougie Hamilton

Jonas Siegenthaler-Damon Severson

PK Subban-Ty Smith

Goalies:

Blackwood, Bernier

Ottawa Senators

Forwards:

Brady Tkachuk-Josh Norris-Drake Batherson

Nick Paul-Tim Stutzle-Connor Brown

Alex Formenton-Chris Tierney-Tyler zen is

Zach Sanford-Dylan Gambrell-Austin Watson

Defensemen:

Thomas Chabot-Nikita Zaitsev

Nick Holden- Artem Zub

Dillon Heatherington-Lassi Thomson

Goaltenders:

Anton Forsberg

Filip Gustavsson

Prediction

Devils need a win badly and it’s unlikely a lowly Senators team wins two in a row. Let’s say 5-2 Devils. Like we said, Ottawa does lead the league in goals allowed per game