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:

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

Lines from last game:

Ottawa Senators

New Jersey Devils

Stats: