Can the Ottawa Senators' Even-Strength Surge Overwhelm the New Jersey Devils?
The Ottawa Senators, with a 5-2 victory, showcased their offensive capabilities against the New Jersey Devils. The Senators improved their record to 5-2, while the Devils fell to 2-5.
The game at Prudential Center was a display of even-strength dominance by the Senators. They netted four goals during even-strength play and added one more while shorthanded. The team's shooting accuracy was on point with a 20 percent shooting percentage from their total of 25 shots on goal. Their performance was bolstered by six assists and an impressive plus-minus of +13.
The Senators' goaltender played an integral role in securing this win, saving all but two of the 20 shots faced throughout the game for a perfect save percentage at even strength. This defensive solidity limited the Devils to scoring only two goals despite having equal opportunities at even strength.
Special teams did not contribute much to Ottawa's scoreline as they were unable to capitalize on any powerplay chances out of five opportunities, managing just two shots during these moments. However, they excelled when down a man; not only did they prevent any goals against while shorthanded but also scored one themselves from four attempts.
On faceoffs, both teams had an equal number of chances with 54 each; however, it was New Jersey who won more draws with a success rate of 56 percent compared to Ottawa's 44 percent. Despite this disadvantage in faceoff wins, it didn't seem to hamper Ottawa's ability to control play and put pucks in the net.
Penalties were frequent for both sides as well; Ottawa served five penalties totaling thirteen minutes including one major penalty while New Jersey spent fifteen minutes in penalty time across six infractions which included one major penalty as well.
Looking ahead after this convincing win over New Jersey Devils, fans can catch the next action-packed game featuring their beloved team when they host Edmonton Oilers at Canadian Tire Centre on March 24th at around nine o'clock Eastern Time Zone (ET). This upcoming match will be available for viewing on ESPN+.