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Game 17 Preview and Open Thread: Ottawa Senators versus New Jersey Devils

What’s old is new (jersey) again

Ottawa Senators v New Jersey Devils Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images

Game Notes:

  • Welcome back to the early- to mid-2000s!
  • The Senators got some good news on the injury front with Artem Zub due to return to the lineup, leaving just Thomas Chabot and Josh Norris sidelined. For the Devils, Ondrej Palat and Mackenzie Blackwood remain on the injured list.
  • New Jersey, as you may have heard, enters this matinee on an eleven-game winning streak. Through 17 games, they already have a +22 goal differential with just three losses so far. I regret to inform you that they have the peripheral stats to back up that absurd record.
  • Looking at the statistical breakdown, I feel like it bears mentioning that the Sens actually have pretty decent rates to date (especially considering Norris’ extended absence) and that just about every NHL team ranks behind the Devils in one or more categories.
  • It bodes well for Ottawa then that they can almost hang with New Jersey statistically in terms of goaltending and top-six output. But as we know, the Devils really separate themselves with five-on-five team play (particularly when it comes to five-on-five defence where New Jersey has entered a different stratosphere the Sens can’t even perceive).
  • On the surface these teams look pretty evenly matched on special teams but further investigation reveals that Ottawa has benefited from a greater conversion rate on the powerplay despite generating fewer chances than New Jersey (who haven’t had the same shooting luck). The Devils have a very good penalty kill to match their five-on-five defence.
  • With all that in mind, I wouldn’t completely write this off as a scheduled loss. But Ottawa has their work cut out for them as New Jersey simply doesn’t make mistakes on defence and has just enough offence to make opponents pay. Zub’s return at least gives Ottawa a marginal improvement in attempting to bridge that divide.
  • Here are the fancy numbers:

Expected and actual goals

Team 5V5 xGF/60 5V5 Sh% 5V5 xGA/60 5V5 Sv% PP xGF/60 PP Sh% PK xGA/60 PK Sv%
Team 5V5 xGF/60 5V5 Sh% 5V5 xGA/60 5V5 Sv% PP xGF/60 PP Sh% PK xGA/60 PK Sv%
Ottawa 3.08 8.84 2.85 92.12 7.08 17.07 6.93 84.27
New Jersey 3.46 8.82 2.03 92.06 8.65 12.50 5.81 84.29

Where to watch listen: RDS, TSN5, TSN1200 @ 1PM EST

Lines from last game:

Ottawa Senators

Tkachuk - Stützle - Giroux
DeBrincat - Brassard - Joseph
Motte - Pinto - Batherson
Kelly - Gambrell - Watson

Sanderson - Hamonic
Brännström - Bernard-Docker
Holden - Larsson

New Jersey Devils

Tatar - Hischier - Zetterlund
Bratt - Haula - Hughes
Wood - McLeod - Bastian
Sharangovich - Boqvist - Mercer

Graves - Marino
Sigenthaler - Hamilton
Smith - Severson

Stats:

Players

Game 17 Ottawa Senators New Jersey Devils
Game 17 Ottawa Senators New Jersey Devils
Category Player # Player #
Goals Pinto/Giroux 8 Nico Hischier 9
Assists Brady Tkachuk 14 Jesper Bratt 15
Points Brady Tkachuk 21 Jesper Bratt 22
Shots Brady Tkachuk 65 Jack Hughes 76
ATOI Thomas Chabot 25:44 John Marino 21:40

Teams

Game 17 Ottawa Senators New Jersey Devils
Game 17 Ottawa Senators New Jersey Devils
Category Rank # Rank #
Goals 9th 3.42 3rd 3.68
Goals against 22nd 3.36 4th 2.39
Shots 9th 32.8 2nd 36.7
Shots against 25th 33.8 1st 24.5
Powerplay 10th 23.0% 21st 20.0%
Penalty Kill 18th 78.1% 9th 80.7%
Corsi (5V5SVA) 15th 50.9% 2nd 60.6%
xGoals (5V5SVA) 14th 51.1% 1st 64.0%