Devils vs. Senators Preview: 3 Keys to Victory

The New Jersey Devils are in a prime spot to secure another crucial two points vs. a Senators team trending in the wrong direction under Jacques Martin.

Follow us on Twitter: @AlexC_NJD, @NJD_OnTheRush

After a thrilling 4-3 overtime win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday, the New Jersey Devils return to the ice to take on a struggling Ottawa Senators team. Here are three keys to victory as the Devils look to extend their win streak to three games. 

Taking Advantage of Senators' Porous Goaltending

Joonas Korpisalo is coming off a 34-save effort in a 4-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night, but the season has been a struggle for him. He enters tonight with an .894 save percentage and has given up 3.5 goals above expected. 

In fact, Korpisalo has had some of the worst impacts on his team's place in the standings. Via Prashanth Iyer on Twitter, Korpisalo has had the second-worst impact on standing points above expected among NHL goalies. Only Pyotr Kochetkov has been worse:

Via Prashanth Iyer

Yes, Korpisalo has had an even worse impact than Vitek Vaněček and Akira Schmid have for the Devils. And it's not like the Senators have a suitable backup to turn to if they want to give Korpisalo a night off. 

Anton Forsberg has struggled mightily with an .877 SV% while giving up 9.9 goals above expected. He's just ahead of Korpisalo in the graph above, and it's only because he's played less than Korpisalo. 

Even if Nico Daws is the Devils’ starter tonight, they should have an advantage in net. A fast start could be in store, especially since it's a road game and they seem to play better away from the Prudential Center. 

A Place for Jack Hughes to Break Out

Not only have the Senators' goaltenders struggled, but their defense has been a mess, too. They've been one of the worst defensive teams in the league, giving up 2.74 expected goals per 60 minutes.