The Devils go north of the border tonight to take on the Senators.
The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (4-2-0) at the Ottawa Senators (2-1-0)
The Time: 7:00 PM
The Broadcast: TV — MSG+
Differences in Ottawa
The Senators gained some and lost some in free agency this year, with Jakob Chychrun being traded to Washington for Nick Jensen. The Senators also lost Mathieu Joseph in a trade for a draft pick. In free agency, they brought in David Perron and Nick Cousins, providing skill and grit, respectively, in their bottom six. The big prize that Ottawa got, though, was Linus Ullmark, who previously led a tandem in Boston with Jeremy Swayman that was probably the best tandem on average in the NHL. However, Ullmark has been dealing with a nagging injury, and he missed their previous matchup.
Our projected lines for today’s tilt with the Kings #GoSensGo | @UpperDeckSports pic.twitter.com/fTyNV9zlte
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) October 14, 2024
However, TSN reported yesterday that Ullmark skated on his own and could be in the mix for tonight. If he plays, the Devils will have to deal with a potential Vezina candidate in goal. In that same injury report, Travis Green noted that Artem Zub will be out with a concussion. Zub has been playing on their top pairing, and he is in his fifth season. Without Zub, the Senators may have a tougher time facing the Devils’ top six.
And of course, former Devils interim head coach Travis Green is behind the bench for Ottawa. It will be really interesting to see how Green’s team performs, as he has had a training camp and some games to instill his own system and style. I was not a fan of Green as a coach for the Devils, given his poor track record in Vancouver and the apparent step back the team took offensively going from Andrew Brunette to Green as the offensive assistant coach. With another year under his belt, though, let us see if Green has learned a few things and is coming back a better head coach in a more permanent role.
Playing Better and With Consistency
The big problem for the New Jersey Devils so far this season has been their lack of consistency since their return to America. They were fantastic against the Capitals, but not so much against Toronto or Carolina. Part of this might be settling into a schedule after dealing with rust in Toronto and the end of a back-to-back in Carolina, but fans want to see more from the team. If a consistent defensive effort is visible, with fluid puck movement out of the defensive zone, Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen can get enough saves to win games — even if the offense gets a bit unlucky.
Tonight is game seven for the defensive pairings, and the bottom six has had Palat on the fourth line for a few games now. If the chemistry is not there by the end of this week, I think Sheldon Keefe needs to think about getting a different look in some places. For now, though, I hope to see the team go back to the way it was against Washington — cohesive and dominant in all zones.
Your Thoughts
What do you think of tonight’s game? Do you think Ottawa will have a better season this year? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.