The New Jersey Devils have played more games than any other NHL team this season, but they’re still learning about themselves.
The Devils will try to get back to their winning ways when they visit the Ottawa Senators on Thursday in their seventh game in 14 days since opening the season Oct. 4 in Prague, Czechia.
The Devils are coming off a 4-2 loss at the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, spoiling their second chance this season at a three-game winning streak.
“We just have to dig in, we have to feel comfortable in those kinds of games,” Nico Hischier said. “Sometimes, the opponent is all over you and we have to be comfortable in that, trust our system, trust our D-zone and respect that. Trust that the game, if we keep doing the little things right, will come in our favor.”
Jesper Bratt said the Devils began forechecking better in their own zone in the third period, something they need to bring to Ottawa.
“We created more chances off of that and that’s just how we have to play,” Bratt said. “If we didn’t have (goalie Jacob) Markstrom coming up with those huge saves in the beginning, the score could have been a lot different.”
There’s no question which was the top line was against Carolina.
Jack Hughes scored off assists from Bratt and Johnathan Kovacevic to give New Jersey a 1-0 lead, and Hughes and Bratt assisted on Hischier’s goal late in the third that cut the lead to one before the Hurricanes notched an empty-netter.
“When that line was out for the most part we were controlling play pretty good,” Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said. “But we were going uphill every time those guys came back to the bench, so not enough to beat a team like this just to have one line going.”
Paul Cotter leads the Devils with four goals in six games, more than half of what he scored in 76 games for the Vegas Golden Knights last season.
The Senators — who have only played three games — are also hoping to carry the momentum from their last game, when they erased a pair of two-goal deficits against the visiting Los Angeles Kings before winning 8-7 in overtime on Monday afternoon.
“That was fun,” said Josh Norris, who scored the winner. “I don’t think you get too many of those games. I think it was, whatever, 15 goals in one game, but you’ve got to take it as the game comes and sometimes that happens. I thought we were resilient and hung in there.”
Tim Stutzle has three goals and three assists to lead the Senators, but Norris, who has undergone three shoulder surgeries in the past five seasons, is right behind him with two goals and two assists.
“Couldn’t be happier for the guy,” defenseman Thomas Chabot said. “He’s been through a lot the last couple of years, and obviously as players, you know how hard it is mentally for him. Just seeing him back to the old Josh Norris that we know, and he gets a chance and finds the back of the net. That’s the guy that we all know and that’s the guy that never lost confidence and trust in himself.”
–Field Level Media
