Devils Drop Another, Fall to Senators 2-1

Published: Sunday, January 19, 2025

by Patrick Corsello

NEWARK, N.J. - The New Jersey Devils fell to the Ottawa Senators 2-1 on Sunday afternoon, going 0-for-2 in their weekend back-to-back after losing to the Philadelphia Flyers 3-1 on Saturday.

After scoring only one goal against the Flyers, the Devils looked to jumpstart their offense early in the first period against Ottawa. Senators' goaltender Anton Forsberg faced a flurry of shots in the opening minutes, but the Swedish netminder kept the Devils off the scoresheet.

Both teams were playing their second game in as many days, with Ottawa coming off a thrilling 6-5 shootout victory over the Boston Bruins on Saturday afternoon.

The Devils focused on a strong defensive effort to give their goaltender Jacob Markstrom a manageable workload, holding the Senators without a shot halfway through the first period. At the same time, New Jersey generated consistent offensive pressure, tallying nine shots in the first ten minutes.

A late first-period power play, courtesy of a tripping penalty on Senators forward Nick Cousins, gave the Devils a prime scoring opportunity. However, they were unable to convert, and the score remained 0-0 heading into the second period. The Devils outshot the Senators 17-2 in the opening frame.

As the second period began, New Jersey continued creating offensive chances but struggled to solve Forsberg. Credit is due to Ottawa for tightening up defensively and limiting the Devils' opportunities compared to the first period.

The game saw little action through the first half of the second period, as both teams played steady hockey. For the Senators, the focus was on generating more shots after registering only four midway through the game. 

The breakthrough came late in the second period when Zack Ostapchuk scored his first goal of the season, giving Ottawa a 1-0 lead. The Senators' advantage was short-lived, as Tomas Tatar responded almost immediately for the Devils, tying the game 1-1.

Momentum seemed to swing in New Jersey’s favor, but that was halted when Johnathan Kovacevic was called for hooking with under four minutes remaining in the period. Fortunately, the Devils' penalty kill stood strong, and the game remained tied heading into the third period.

Early in the final frame, Ottawa regained the lead when defenseman Artem Zub fired a long shot past Markstrom for his second goal of the season. The Devils' troubles continued as Brendan Dillon was called for interference shortly afterward, putting Ottawa on the power play. New Jersey managed to kill off that penalty, but faced another setback when Stefan Noesen took a tripping penalty with 10 minutes remaining. 

Despite their efforts in the final 20 minutes, the Devils were unable to generate the equalizer and ultimately fell to Ottawa 2-1. The Devils will look to bounce back on Wednesday when they host the Boston Bruins at the Prudential Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. 

Pat Corsello is an Assistant Music Director and can be reached at patrick.corsello@student.shu.edu. 

 

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