Devils’ Special Teams Falter in 4-1 Loss to Senators
KANATA, Ont. - Saturday night in Ottawa, the Devils found themselves in a familiar story with an all-too-familiar ending: a special teams struggle that proved costly. A 4-1 loss to the Senators at Canadian Tire Centre wasn’t about being outplayed at even strength - it was about missed opportunities and costly lapses when it mattered most.
New Jersey went 0-for-5 on the power play, including a critical third-period chance to tie the game that came up empty. On the other side, Ottawa made the most of their chances, converting two of their own power plays. That swing - minus-2 in special teams - was the difference.
“Not good enough both on the power play and penalty kill,” head coach Sheldon Keefe said postgame. “Special teams certainly are the difference here tonight.”
The Devils had chances early - the first two power plays of the game, in fact - but couldn’t cash in. Ottawa, meanwhile, struck on their first opportunity and never looked back.
Jesper Bratt, speaking about the power play struggles, pointed to a lack of movement and spacing. “We didn’t really move well enough and spread them out,” he said.
“We played a little too tight. We didn’t really get off the walls.
We kept the puck going a little too much instead of attacking from the middle of the ice.”
Bratt added that the unit did start to generate some better looks in the third period, but by then, the damage was done. “Obviously 0-for-5 is something we don’t want,” he said.
Timo Meier provided the lone goal for New Jersey, finishing off a gritty sequence that started with Cody Glass doing the dirty work down low. Glass, playing in his first game back from injury, won an offensive-zone faceoff, cut to the net, battled through traffic, fell, got back up, and outmuscled two Senators behind the goal line to retrieve the puck.
He then fed Meier, who buried it into a wide-open net. Meier got the goal, but Glass did the heavy lifting.
“That’s a guy who’s battling,” Keefe said. “First game coming back from being hobbled. Jack’s absence today, (Glass) took on a lot of roles and responsibilities and did a nice job.”
Glass wasn’t even a lock to play earlier in the day. The Devils were juggling center depth heading into puck drop, with Jack Hughes ruled out due to a lower-body injury and Nico Hischier a game-time decision while battling illness. Glass was also questionable, but ultimately suited up - and made his presence felt.
Despite the loss, the Devils were in it until the final minutes. The game was tied 1-1 entering the third, and Ottawa’s second goal didn’t come until late in the period. Still, the Devils had a golden chance to tie it again on a power play - and nearly did.
Connor Brown appeared to score with just minutes left, knocking a puck into the net during a scramble. But after review, the goal was waived off. Brown had gloved the puck down, and though it was Ottawa goalie Linus Ullmark who ultimately knocked it into his own net, the officials ruled that Brown’s last touch with his glove nullified the goal.
“As I see it, Connor is making a play to put the puck down and put it into the wide-open empty net and then their goaltender puts it in for him,” Keefe said. “That’s a tough one. That is the rule… but we’re obviously not going to love the interpretation.”
Ottawa sealed the win with a late insurance goal from Tim Stutzle and an empty-netter from Shane Pinto. Brady Tkachuk had a night, registering a goal and two assists, while Dylan Cozens also scored on the power play. Ullmark, making his first start in over a month after a personal leave, turned in a strong performance to earn the win.
One streak that came to an end for New Jersey: Dougie Hamilton’s offensive tear. The defenseman had points in 10 straight games, but that run ended when a secondary assist originally credited to him on Meier’s goal was later changed and awarded to Brown. Hamilton had been on a heater since being scratched back on Jan. 11, tallying 10 points (2g-8a) in nine games.
Now, the Devils head back to Newark to regroup and reset. They’ll host the Blue Jackets next, looking to bounce back and - more importantly - clean things up on special teams.
Puck drops at 7:08 p.m. ET at Prudential Center.