Devils vs. Senators Preview: Light the Lamp

The Ottawa Senators' goaltending woes should provide the New Jersey Devils ample opportunity to light the lamp.

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The New Jersey Devils seem to be finding a bit of a groove. After a solid win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, they followed that up with one of their best performances of 2023-24, a 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Tonight, the Devils take on a bottom-feeder in the Ottawa Senators, the type of team that's posed problems this season. Here are three things to watch. 

Don't Play Down to Your Competition

The Anaheim Ducks, the Arizona Coyotes. You name it, but the Devils have played down to their competition quite a bit this season. Even more than their goaltending (or maybe equal to), dropping points to teams like the Ducks, Coyotes, etc., has put the Devils in the position they're in. 

Getting off to slow starts has been a problem for the Devils, but that seems to be improving under interim coach Travis Green. The Devils have scored the first goal in three consecutive contests and have played with more urgency to start games, especially against the Penguins and Jets. 

Even though the Senators are a bottom-feeder, you will find worse five-on-five teams than them this season. They have a 49.25 expected goals share (xG%), ranked 19th in the NHL. Across their last ten games, they have a 51.08 xG%, slightly better than the Devils' xG% over their previous ten games. 

The Senators are a better team than their record indicates, which is why the Devils can't take them lightly to start the game. I'm sure that'll be the message from Green, and coming off their best win of the season, they'll want to avoid a letdown. Expect the Devils to get off to a fast start in this one. 

Senators Goaltending Has Been a Nightmare

One reason I expect the Devils to get off to a quick start is because of the Senators' goaltending. If you thought the Devils have had goaltending issues this season, the Senators have had it worse. Much worse.