All About The Jersey - New Jersey Devils vs. Ottawa Senators: Game Stream #33A world class blog for Jersey's team: the New Jersey Devilshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47083/lou-fave.png2014-12-18T00:03:48-05:00http://www.allaboutthejersey.com/rss/stream/71704742014-12-18T00:03:48-05:002014-12-18T00:03:48-05:00Devils Couldn't Solve Craig Anderson in 0-2 Loss
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<img alt="The closest the Devils came to scoring. Elias put this rebound attempt wide." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pBQwiILCNubmAmb2hTKWzVQ43Cs=/0x0:3204x2136/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44361142/usa-today-8277258.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>The closest the Devils came to scoring. Elias put this rebound attempt wide. | Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Thanks to Craig Anderson stopping everything, the New Jersey Devils are now winless in five and were booed off the ice in a 0-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators. This game recap covers it all from Anderson to Elias' post-game quote about the booing.</p> <p>Over the last six games, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/">New Jersey Devils</a> were decisively beaten more often than not. They had one legitimately good period out of eighteen. They were <a href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2014/12/7/7346841/new-jersey-devils-pay-stupidity-1-4-loss-washington-capitals" target="_blank">stupid against Washington</a>, they got steamrolled <a href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2014/12/8/7357663/cory-schneider-steals-2-1-win-new-jersey-devils-carolina-hurricanes" target="_blank">by Carolina</a> and <a href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2014/12/10/7365349/keith-kinkaid-new-jersey-devils-stole-point-2-3-shootout-loss-chicago-blackhawks" target="_blank">again on the next night by Chicago</a> with goaltending dragging the team to points, they got <a href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2014/12/11/7379979/new-jersey-devils-lame-in-1-4-defeat-to-philadelphia-flyers" target="_blank">heavily out-shot by Philadelphia</a>, they <a href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2014/12/14/7389021/new-jersey-devils-flattered-by-score-3-4-loss-dallas-stars-this-team-is-not-good" target="_blank">got out-rushed by Dallas</a>, and <a href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2014/12/15/7399471/keith-kinkaid-tried-new-jersey-devils-edged-shootout-new-york-islanders" target="_blank">they fell apart to the Islanders.</a> The team went 1-3-2 in those six games and they were largely hideous performances by the red, white, and black. Tonight was different against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silversevensens.com/">Ottawa Senators</a>. It would be the Devils that would attack more than defend. It would be the Devils who would press the issue more often. It would be the Devils drawing more calls, gaining more zones, winning more pucks, and significantly out-shoot their opponents (34! to 16!). It would be the Devils controlling most of the game. It would be without a shadow of a doubt the best we have seen from the Devils in quite some time. Live at the Rock, no less. And the Devils lost 0-2 to the Ottawa Senators largely because <span>Craig Anderson</span> bailed out his team.</p>
<p>Anderson has been very good for the Senators this season, but tonight he had to be perfect. It wasn't so much that the Devils were exceptional at everything that they did. Don't get me wrong, they did a lot right. A NHL team doesn't out-shoot their opponent by more than a 2:1 ratio by not doing a lot right. But there was also plenty that they could have improved on. No, it was that Ottawa's skaters were just far worse. For most of the game, they felt the neutral zone was optional. They were throwing pucks away on defense just to get a clear. That led to the Devils getting the puck back and going forward. Their breakouts were mostly broken up. They took five penalties because they got in trouble and decided a foul was better than whatever was happening. More simply, this was a team that only generated eight shots on net after two periods and they weren't inaccurate. The Sens were just poor and the Devils took full advantage.</p>
<p>Fortunately for the visitors, their goaltender was impeccable. To make a point of comparison, Anderson played like <span>Cory Schneider</span> did in the team's last win at Carolina or <span>Keith Kinkaid</span> in his two recent starts. He was well-positioned. He took good angles. He fought his way to find pucks through traffic. He didn't concede many rebounds. He even was good at stickhandling the puck, even making an attempt at the Devils' empty net late in regulation. (He missed.) He did get some favorable bounces in that no odd deflection or inadvertent re-direction beat him. The only non-empty goal scored tonight was <span>Kyle Turris</span> tipping a wrister by <span>Erik Karlsson</span> past Schneider, in fact. So both goalies were quite good, but Anderson was the clear star of the night. But Anderson face rubber from all angles, he faced a significant number of it, he didn't get much relief from Ottawa attacking, and so he fully earned his shutout.</p>
<p>While Ottawa fans and fantasy hockey players who own Anderson would appreciate that, the home team got no appreciation by the end of the game. After doing whatever they wanted to Ottawa for about 40-45 minutes - the first ten minutes of the game or so wasn't dominant - the Devils just started to falter. Their own passes started hitting off sticks or missed their mark. Players were communicating. As time was running out and the net was empty, the lasting images of <span>Marek Zidlicky</span> and <span>Scott Gomez</span> just playing catch with the puck drew plenty of ire. As did the failed breakouts and movements up ice preceding that. So did Turris killing the game with an empty netter. The remaining fans booed loudly throughout the final minutes after plenty of support during the game, moreso than the last failed power play, and it made sense to my ears at The Rock.</p>
<p>The Devils played their best performance in weeks. But it didn't lead to any goals which is frustrating, a callback to last season, and absolutely not what the team or the fans wanted to happen. In the context of the larger season, the failures by game's end confirmed that it would be five winless games in a row in a season where the team has won a paltry eleven games. If you're not mad at that, then you are likely just numb to all the losing, telling yourself "this is for the greater good" while hoping for a tank-job, or not paying attention. The Devils played well, but without beating Craig Anderson, the result is no different from many nights this season. Boo.</p>
<p><b>The Game Stats: </b>The <a href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/GS020464.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Game Summary</a> | The <a href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/ES020464.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Event Summary</a> | The <a href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/PL020464.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Play by Play Log</a> | The <a href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/SS020464.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Shot Summary</a> | The <a href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/TH020464.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Devils Time on Ice Log</a> | The <a href="http://naturalstattrick.com/game.php?season=20142015&game=20464" target="_blank">Natural Stat Trick Corsi Charts</a></p>
<p><b>The Opposition Opinion: </b><a href="http://www.silversevensens.com/2014/12/17/7413729/anderson-senators-steal-from-the-devil-s-win-2-0" target="_blank">Ary M has this recap at Silver Seven</a> wherein the claim is that Anderson stole two points for the Senators. Can't disagree with that.</p>
<p><b>The Game Highlights: </b>Plenty of stops by Anderson are featured in this highlight video at <a href="http://www.nhl.com" target="_blank">NHL.com</a>:</p>
<p align="center"><iframe src="http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/embed?playlist=2014020464-X-h" frameborder="0" width="640" height="395"></iframe></p>
<p><b>You Wanted The Truth...: </b><span>Eric Gelinas</span> arguably had his best game this season. He looked like the offensive force some believe him to be, dropping bombs whenever possible. He led the Devils with six shots on net out of an also team-leading ten attempts. Gelinas was also passing the puck well, which is definitely good to see from him so he's not just forcing slapshots every time he gets a touch of the puck. What's more was that he wasn't a horror show in his own end of the rink. I only noted two bad moments but they both led to nothing so it's not really worth point out. That's impressive even considering that his most common partner was Marek Zidlicky. The duo were excellent up until the final few minutes where they and the rest of the team struggled to attack. Otherwise, the Sens had little answer for them for most of the night. Alas, the nine shots between the two defenders didn't yield a goal.</p>
<p><b>Speaking of the D: </b>The defense was marvelous. Holding the Senators to a mere 16 shots and 25 shooting attempts alone is worth praise. Every defender did their job well (even <span>Seth Helgeson</span>) with few extended attacking shifts for the opposition. This was more impressive considering that <span>Damon Severson</span> was a late scratch due to what <a target="_blank" href="http://fireandice.northjersey.com/fire-ice-1.174987/live-post-devils-vs-ottawa-senators-12-17-14-severson-late-scratch-with-lower-body-injury-1.1162005">Tom Gulitti reported as a "lower body injury."</a> Losing a top-pairing defender is bad news but the Devils (and the Senators' lame offense performance) more than carried on without him.</p>
<p>Incidentally, I want to point out that the Devils' offense didn't solely rely on shots from the points. Zidlicky and Gelinas were firing away, sure. They combined for nine shots. But they are players who <i>should</i> be firing away as they have strong shots. <span>Andy Greene</span> had four shots and the rest of the blueline combined for one (it was by <span>Peter Harrold</span>). That's 14 shots out of the 34 the Devils have. I don't think that's too many shots from distance and I don't think that's partially why the Devils did not score. Regardless, I liked the defensive performance who only had the one major error of <span>Jon Merrill</span> throwing a puck over the glass, which yielded the game's lone non-empty net goal.</p>
<p><b>What Could Have Been: </b>So the Devils out-shot the Senators 34-16, out-attempted them overall 52-25, and controlled attempts even more at evens by 41-19. Could it have been better? Sure.</p>
<p>In my opinion, the biggest thing I saw was that Devils didn't make the most of what they really had on offense. Let me explain. In the third period, a breakdown in the neutral zone allowed <span>Jaromir Jagr</span> to lead a two-on-one with Scott Gomez. Jagr hits Gomez cleanly with the pass. Instead of firing it away or taking a touch and firing it away, Gomez takes a couple touches with it and eventually runs out of room so Anderson easily covers it. Here's another example: on one of the Devils's second period power plays, the breakout found <span>Travis Zajac</span> open through a seam. He pushes forward but for whatever reason doesn't get a clean shot off as he tried to get as close as possible to do so. Let's go with a third example. In the first period when the Devils were really taking the game over, <span>Adam Henrique</span> was able to carry it in through the middle of the ice. While there were Senators back, instead of trying to skate closer, he cut back and fired a wrister that fooled nobody. These are just a couple examples, but I hope they clarify what I mean. I'm not talking about a tenuous concept like "finishing" or "killer instinct" or whatever. Too many times, the Devils would get into good offensive situations but don't have the right timing or make the right decision given what they have. It's not like Anderson wasn't good or the Devils just got 34 non-threatening shots. It's that the Devils could have done more on some of them and maybe - <i>maybe </i>- that would have killed the shutout.</p>
<p>Moreover, the power play was lackluster as a whole. Normally, I would be happy with eleven shots and a post out of five power plays. But the breakouts were just weird to me and I think it hurt the cause. The Senators often forechecked with one skater and every time, the Devils puck carrier would circle around as if the opposition's presence was smoking them out of an invisible cave. This took time off the clock and slowed down the approach. As it did when that puck carrier would drop pass it to a player behind him, with the exception of Zidlicky doing it to nobody on the first power play. More weirdly, the Devils often did get forward successfully from this, though not with much success when the second puck carrier decided to just dump it in. Had the Devils just pushed forward in some cases, they could have had a little more time in their end. Likewise, I think it's in those situations where they were too reliant on the point. It's understandable with someone like Gelinas back there, but I think the Devils could have done more to change the point of attack instead of pass-pass-point shot, pass-pass, point-shot, and so forth.</p>
<p>Lastly, the final seven minutes or so saw a team where things just fell apart. Again, passes started going off sticks. Pressure by the Senators affected them after not having done so for most of the night. Dump-ins were more prevalent even if they got that far. You can chalk it up to frustration setting in from still being down a score, the Senators holding true in the neutral zone as if it was a penalty kill (they're the ones up 0-1, so why not?), bad breaks, or whatever you'd like. But this was really disappointing part and had the play been more consistent like in the second period, then perhaps the Devils would have gotten an equalizer.</p>
<p>Overall, my takeaway from this recap-within-a-recap is that the Devils played well but it can be better. The good news is that they can look at this and build on it. The bad news is that nothing from the last six weeks or so have proven that the Devils can necessarily build on previous performances.</p>
<p><b>Let's Talk About Some of the Senators: </b><span>Chris Phillips</span> is awfully like Bryce Salvador. Mark Borowiecki and <span>Eric Gryba</span> weren't good either. <span>Erik Karlsson</span> got his power play point but he wasn't flying all over the Devils, which is usually a small victory on most nights. <span>Bobby Ryan</span> could have been Ottawa's biggest threat, though two minor penalties undercut that. Kyle Turris scored the goals but other than that, it's hard to pick out what he did well. The Devils made <span>David Legwand</span> and <span>Milan Michalek</span> look like pylons. I felt pain for <span>Erik Condra</span> taking his own teammate's shot to the side of his face; though he would return to play. Now that I'm writing my own quick thoughts about the non-Craig Anderson players, a lot of the Senators were bad tonight which only adds to the dulling painful fact that the Devils lost this game.</p>
<p><b>They Did What I Want: </b>Adam Henrique was taken away from <span>Michael Ryder</span>. Henrique was up with Gomez and Jagr and he did pretty well. Ryder didn't do much, but it wasn't like watching a Yule log in the fireplace given his limited minutes. I'd like to see Zajac back with Jagr and Henrique to see if that will work out, but this combination did well enough as Gomez (3 shots) and Jagr (4 shots) kept firing.</p>
<p><b>Return of Elias - Again: </b><span>Patrik Elias</span> returned to the lineup tonight. He certainly made an impact on the ice. He had five shots on net (!), he was the closest Devil to scoring (he put a rebound wide right in front of the net, that's the moment in this post's picture), and he looked solid on the wing of Travis Zajac and opposite <span>Martin Havlat</span>. Zajac was threatening to score given his three shots out of eight attempts. Havlat was, well, not a waste of space. But this is the best Elias has looked in a while.</p>
<p><b>Oh, Patrik: </b>That said, Patrik Elias made an impact off the ice with this post-game quote. <a target="_blank" href="http://fireandice.northjersey.com/fire-ice-1.174987/patrik-elias-devils-didn-t-deserve-to-be-booed-at-end-of-tonight-s-2-0-loss-to-ottawa-1.1162666">Here's what Gulitti reported at Fire & Ice:</a></p>
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<p>"Obviously, the fans, they were booing," left wing Patrik Elias said. "They were disappointed. So were we. Trust me. But, we didn’t deserve that today. The effort was there. We were the better team. We understand it, but it wasn’t deserved tonight. I didn’t appreciate it.</p>
<p>...</p>
<p><span>"Everybody gets booed some time," Elias said. "We know when we deserve it."</span></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Oh, Patrik. As much as I appreciate your candor and honesty, I'm afraid I've got some bad news. The Devils haven't won a game since last Monday, which means the team is winless in five. The Devils haven't won a game in Newark since November 11, which is over a month ago. You don't get to tell the fans how to act. You don't get to claim you don't deserve it.</p>
<p>Whether or not 15,000+ or a few drunk fools are booing has zero effect on what happens in the game. How you play does. While you and the team played quite well tonight, the fact is that this isn't just one of those "it just wasn't our night" games. This is one of the many losses the team has suffered. Should it continue, you may not have to worry about so many people booing you. They'll just stay home, read sites like mine to know what's going on, and/or move on with their lives. (That last sentence was for you, Mr. or Ms. Devils Worker in the Sales Department as I know you monitor this site. Good luck selling people on this team in January and beyond.)</p>
<p><b>Your Take: </b>The Devils got shut out on their best performance in two weeks, losing by a deflection in the game's first power play. If the Devils didn't go winless in their previous four games and weren't 11-15-6 heading into the game, then we all may feel better about it. But that's not the reality of the situation. Again, no one's really happy (myself included) and I don't think any Devils fan should be unless you stopped caring, you're pro-tank, or you didn't know what happened tonight. Regardless, I want to know your take on tonight's game so please leave that in the comments.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone who commented in the Gamethread and followed <a href="http://www.twitter.com/inlouwetrust" target="_blank">@InLouWeTrust</a> on Twitter. Thank you for reading.</p>
https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2014/12/18/7413939/new-jersey-devils-could-not-beat-craig-anderson-lose-0-2-ottawa-senatorsJohn Fischer2014-12-17T18:00:02-05:002014-12-17T18:00:02-05:00Devils vs. Senators: Gamethread #33
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<p>This is the gamethread for today's game between the New Jersey Devils and the Ottawa Senators. This is a post where users can discuss what happens before, during, and after the game until the recap is up.</p> <p><strong>The Time:</strong> 7:00 PM EST</p>
<p><strong>The Broadcast:</strong> TV: MSG+ , Radio: 880 AM WCBS</p>
<p><strong>The Matchup:</strong> The <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/">New Jersey Devils</a> (11-15-6) vs. The <a href="https://www.silversevensens.com/">Ottawa Senators</a> (12-12-6) SBN Blog: Silver Seven.</p>
<p><strong>The Game Previews: </strong>John's preview from earlier <a href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2014/12/17/7405983/new-jersey-devils-vs-ottawa-senators-game-preview-33" style="color: #c8181d !important; text-decoration: none !important; background-color: transparent;">is right here.</a> For the opposition's point of view, feel free to drop by <a href="http://www.silversevensens.com/" style="color: #c8181d !important; text-decoration: none !important; background-color: transparent;">Silver Seven.</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.canescountry.com/" style="color: #c8181d !important; text-decoration: none !important; background-color: transparent;"></a><strong>The Song for Tonight: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIrHJCnmeoY">"Feel the Fire" by Overkill.</a> The Devils return home this eve to battle the visiting Senators. So let's enjoy some good ole' thrash circa 1985 New Jersey style.</p>
<p><strong>Gameday Info:</strong> <span>Cory Schneider</span> will return to the net tonight for the NJ Devils. <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/fireice/">Check in</a> with Tom Gulitti for this and all the latest NJ Devils news.</p>
<p><strong>The Reminder of Rules: </strong>This is a place where you can comment about this game before, during, and after it's played before the recap is up. This is a place where we <em>primarily</em> discuss the Devils game. An odd mention of other NHL games is OK, but it shouldn't dominate discussion. All comments will be clean, respectful of each other, relevant to the game, and legal (read: no streams). Please refrain from super-big pictures (640 x 480 max) and NO .GIFs whatsoever to keep the gamethread moving for everyone. If you do post pictures make sure to post a title in the comment. Go Devils.</p>
https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2014/12/17/7411161/new-jersey-devils-vs-ottawa-senators-gamethread-33JT Sroka2014-12-17T07:00:02-05:002014-12-17T07:00:02-05:00Devils vs. Senators: Game Preview #33
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<figcaption>The last Devils-Senators game ended like this. It was great at the time. | USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Rock will be hosting tonight's game between the Ottawa Senators and the New Jersey Devils. This game preview looks at Ottawa's big issue, a potential return to the Devils lineup, and why Peter DeBoer will be likely booed before the game.</p> <p>Back home to a, well, there will be a home crowd.</p>
<p><b>The Time: </b>7:00 PM EST</p>
<p><b>The Broadcast: </b>TV - MSG+; Radio - 880 AM WCBS</p>
<p><b>The Matchup: </b>The <a href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New Jersey Devils</a> (11-15-6) vs. the <a href="https://www.silversevensens.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Ottawa Senators</a> (12-12-6; SBN Blog: <a href="http://www.silversevensens.com/">Silver Seven</a>)</p>
<p><b>The Last Devils Game: </b>On Monday night, the Devils went up to play the <a href="https://www.lighthousehockey.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New York Islanders</a>. The first period was nearly a revelation. The Devils looked quick, crisp, and on form. Travis Zajac was back and he was flying. Players were actually making passes and choosing to carry it in rather than dump-and-chase. Scott Gomez was even attempting shots. The Devils got a power play and <span>Marek Zidlicky</span> blasted one in for the game's first goal. Later in the first, Gomez attempted a pass to Zajac in front of <span>Jaroslav Halak</span>, only for the pass to re-direct off Lubomir Visnovsky's skate and get into the net. The fluke made it 2-0 and even two late penalties don't obscure the reality that it was the best period the Devils have played in a long, long time. Unfortunately, there were two more periods left. After killing a carry over penalty into the second period, <span>Ryan Strome</span> found <span>Josh Bailey</span> all alone in front of <span>Keith Kinkaid</span>. The score became 2-1. The Devils responded by playing more like they did in their last five games, which is not all that good. The Isles pressed for an equalizer in the third period and got it in a 2-on-1 rush led and finished by <span>Matt Martin</span>. The Devils responded in the following nine minutes with not much. Overtime was up-tempo and included an Isles power play, but there was no game winning goal from either side. A shootout was necessary and the Devils actually took it to five rounds. Alas, they could not win it. The Isles are now 6-0 in shootouts, the Devils lost 2-3 via said shootout, and are now winless in their last four games. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2014/12/15/7399471/keith-kinkaid-tried-new-jersey-devils-edged-shootout-new-york-islanders">My recap of the loss is here.</a></p>
<p><b>The Last Senators Game: </b>On that same Monday, the Senators took on the <a href="https://www.diebytheblade.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Buffalo Sabres</a>. Ottawa got up first when <span>Bobby Ryan</span> scored in the first period. Beef ensued throughout the period and penalties would be a focal point of the game as both teams combined for eight power plays. Buffalo would score the only PPG of the night early in the second period with a strike by <span>Rasmus Ristolainen</span>. Buffalo stunned Ottawa and <span>Robin Lehner</span> with two quick goals minutes later: <span>Matt Moulson</span> at the 7:00 mark and <span>Marcus Foligno</span> at the 7:32 mark. The Sens would take one back before the end of the period thanks to <span>Mark Stone</span>. Ottawa opened the third period with an equalizer by <span>Curtis Lazar</span> (his first NHL goal) and took the lead minutes later thanks to <span>Alex Chiasson</span>. However, Buffalo made it 4-4 thanks to <span>Brian Flynn</span> within the game's final five minutes and extra time was needed. Despite Ottawa providing the shots, overtime solved nothing and a shootout was necessary. There, Buffalo got one but Ottawa got none. So it was a 4-5 loss for Ottawa. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.silversevensens.com/2014/12/15/7399399/senators-fall-5-4-to-sabres-in-shootout">Ameila L has this recap of the loss at Silver Seven.</a></p>
<p><b>The Last Devils-Senators Game: </b>The Devils visited Ottawa for the first time this season on October 25, mired in a winless streak. The Devils weathered a bit of a stormy start but the two teams were scoreless after one. The first score came when Alex Chiasson made the Devils' penalty kill and Cory Schneider look foolish on a power play. However, the Devils were doing rather well in the second period and provided an acceptable response. Damon Severson dropped a hammer of a shot past Robin Lehner after intercepting a pass by <span>Erik Karlsson</span> to tie it up. Later in the second, Marek Zidlicky dropped another hammer of a shot past Lehner to convert a power play. The Senators response came through a dominant third period with, what else, a power play goal. Bobby Ryan got the puck with a gaping net off a somewhat broken play to tie it up. Schneider ensured that the score remained at 2-2 as the Devils mustered up a measly five shots all period. Overtime ensued and after an initial flurry by Ottawa, <span>Clarke MacArthur</span> took a penalty. The Devils were sloppy to begin the man advantage but eventually, Eric Gelinas found Jaromir Jagr open in the neutral zone. Jagr went in and fired a shot - his only one of the game - past <span>Mark Borowiecki</span> and Lehner to win the game for New Jersey. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2014/10/25/7071533/jaromir-jagr-snaps-new-jersey-devils-winless-streak-overtime-ottawa-senators">My recap of the 3-2 OT win is here.</a> For an opposition's perspective, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.silversevensens.com/2014/10/26/7071695/ottawa-senators-lose-an-emotion-game-in-ot-to-the-new-jersey-devils">Michaela Schreiter had this recap at Silver Seven.</a></p>
<p><b>The Goal: </b>Learn from and build off that first period against the Islanders. I know it reads like a loser to praise a period in what was ultimately not a win. Especially the first period. But the Devils aren't good, so the proverbial bar must be lowered. That first period was the Devils' only really good period out of their previous six games. It was a period where the Devils looked so much faster, confident, and just plain better than before. Simply because they executed so much better than they have been. They made good passes out of their own end of the rink. They made good passes within the neutral zone. When they got into the offensive zone, they often carried it in and didn't simply blindly dump or force an ill-advised or difficult pass on every entry. They looked like the team they could be with better execution. If they can do that for a period or so again and not be like their last seventeen periods when they're not, then they could give the Rock a fun night for a change.</p>
<p><b>BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO: </b>Expect plenty of this when Peter DeBoer's name is announced on the PA. Me? I'll be booing if he puts Tuomo Ruutu, Adam Henrique, and Michael Ryder back together. Say what you want about (Insert Fourth Liner You Don't Like Here), but that unit can be far more damaging if only because they'll play more minutes. Say what you want about chemistry, but it doesn't take long to find out whether hockey players are a good fit with each other. They were a disaster in Long Island and they will be unless their matched-up opponents play like scrubs tonight. So I would boo that. But I'm weird and look at the team differently from others. The larger fan base will understandably give no love to the coach. How much of that fan base will be there tonight depends on their desire to pay money and spend time to go see a 11-win team.</p>
<p><b>Someone Else Is Coming Back: </b>The Devils did not practice - they do have four games this week after four games last week, that's a lot of game - on Tuesday. However, <a target="_blank" href="http://fireandice.northjersey.com/fire-ice-1.174987/devils-return-tim-sestito-to-albany-1.1157173">Tom Gulitti reported at Fire & Ice</a> that Tim Sestito has been sent down to Albany. Sestito was OK against the Islanders given his role, but he was clearly there only because the Devils wanted a twelfth healthy forward that could provide a "spark." So if he's demoted and no one else was promoted, then one of the injured Devils forwards would presumably be back in the lineup. The Devils are not going to play only eleven forwards tonight.</p>
<p>Who will it be? Gulitti did not know. The options are Patrik Elias returning from a groin pull, <span>Dainius Zubrus</span> recovering from a leg laceration, and/or Mike Cammalleri with the dreaded "lower body injury." Any of the three - even Elias - would be welcomed back if only to bolster the forwards with more NHL talent.</p>
<p><b>What Else I'd Like to See: </b>I'd like to see either Peter Harrold play in place of Seth Helgeson or Helgeson to play far better in his own end. He was lost and he wasn't good on the puck against the Islanders. He wouldn't normally drive play forward. At least Harrold has an understanding of what needs to be done and can actually skate decently.</p>
<p>I also don't want to see Henrique, Ruutu, and Ryder again as noted earlier in this very preview. Depending on who returns at forward, this unit may be broken up. Alternatively, I'd switch Henrique and Scott Gomez so Gomez can center a line and we can see whether Travis Zajac and Jaromir Jagr can get something out of #14. The team can really only put together one strong line anyway, so I think it's worth trying. I'm not holding my breath on seeing something like that, though.</p>
<p><b>This Team Fired Their Coach, What's Up With Them?: </b>Since the Devils beat the Senators in overtime back in October, Ottawa has went on to win seven of their next 21 games. Paul MacLean was fired on December 9. His replacement is Dave Cameron, who's been behind the bench for three games already. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.silversevensens.com/2014/12/14/7384811/weekly-question-what-is-the-biggest-challenge-facing-dave-cameron">Mrs. O has a summary at Silver Seven of the biggest issues with the team right now.</a></p>
<p>Here's one of the ones she didn't directly mention: possession. Whereas the Devils are not good 49.8% Corsi, <a target="_blank" href="http://war-on-ice.com/teamtable.html?mansit=2&scoresit=1&homeawaysit=1&tablegroup=1&xaxis=7&yaxis=20&saxis=38&caxis=8&start0=20142015&end0=20142015&start1=2014-10-01&end1=2014-12-17&splitseasons=1&tablegroup=1">the Senators are markedly worse at 47.8% per War on Ice.</a> Look <a target="_blank" href="http://war-on-ice.com/playertable.html?mansit=2&scoresit=1&homeawaysit=1&shotattsit=1&names=&team=OTT&pos=1&xaxis=41&yaxis=70&caxis=31&saxis=77&mintoi=50&panel=&usedaterange=0&start0=20142015&end0=20142015&start1=2014-10-01&end1=2014-12-17&splitseasons=0">at the Senators by player </a>and while they serve different roles, there are only a handful of players with positive relative Corsi and Corsi percentages. One of which, <span>Patrick Wiercioch</span>, was an extra player according to <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/PxPOttawa/status/544908395795738624">this tweet by play-by-play announcer on TSN1200, Dean Brown.</a> <span>Chris Phillips</span>, who's dead last in possession on the team is in the lineup instead. Basically, this isn't a team that's been driving a lot of play forward and that can lead to a lack of results unless something else (goaltending, shooting percentage, special teams) is superlative. They are not as the team shoots at <a target="_blank" href="http://war-on-ice.com/teamtable.html?mansit=2&scoresit=1&homeawaysit=1&tablegroup=5&xaxis=7&yaxis=20&saxis=38&caxis=8&start0=20142015&end0=20142015&start1=2014-10-01&end1=2014-12-17&splitseasons=1&tablegroup=5">7.3% at evens</a>; the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?season=20142015&gameType=2&team=OTT&position=G&country=&status=&viewName=specialTeamSaves">goaltenders have been very good by percentages</a> but they're facing so many shots (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/teamstats.htm?fetchKey=20152ALLSAAAll&sort=avgShotsAgainstPerGame&viewName=summary">34.3 per game average</a>, second most behind Buffalo) that goals still get in; and the Senators are around the middle third of the league in terms of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/teamstats.htm?fetchKey=20152ALLSAAAll&sort=penaltyKillPercentage&viewName=summary">success rate on power plays and penalty killing.</a> So getting 47.8% of the attempts at evens hurts them and it at least partially explains why they only have twelve wins.</p>
<p>This is still a team with multiple dangerous players. Cameron should be tasked with sorting out what's causing them to get out-attempted and out-shot at evens. Progress there will lead to the players buying in and systems getting fixed. He won't get Eugene Melnyk to spend more money, but a coach can only do so much.</p>
<p><b>The Dangerous Senators: </b>First and foremost, <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/PxPOttawa/status/544921208333303808">Dean Brown tweeted on Tuesday</a> that <span>Craig Anderson</span> will start this game. Anderson has been excellent for the Senators with <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?season=20142015&gameType=2&team=OTT&position=G&country=&status=&viewName=specialTeamSaves">a 93.3% save percentage at evens and a 89% save percentage in shorthanded situations.</a> He's like their Cory Schneider. It's not going to be an easy night for New Jersey's shooters.</p>
<p>Second, Ottawa's blueline is led by <span>Erik Karlsson</span>. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?gameType=2&position=S&season=20142015&sort=points&status=A&team=OTT&viewName=summary">Karlsson plays a lot of minutes</a>, he's not a drain on possession, and he knows what he's doing in his own end of the rink. But it's the offensive side of his game that's remarkable. Karlsson is Ottawa's leading scorer with twenty points (7 goals, 13 assists) and their leading shooter with 120 shots. He's also their leader in power play points with 13, so he's worth keeping an eye on when the Senators get a power play. It's not a matter of whether Karlsson will contribute on offense tonight, it's more of a question of when it'll happen.</p>
<p>Third, their top two lines are filled with solid contributors. While the Senators' leading goal scorer has nine, seven other Senators have at least five goals. They spread it around, but the first two units are more concerning as one would expect from an opponent. <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/PxPOttawa/status/544908395795738624">Per Brown's tweet from Ottawa's practice</a> and the units used against Buffalo according to <a target="_blank" href="http://leftwinglock.com/line-combinations/ottawa-senators/?team=ottawa-senators">Left Wing Lock</a>, the first group is Clarke MacArthur, <span>Kyle Turris</span>, and Mark Stone. Stone has been very good per possession and appears to fit well with MacArthur and Turris. The second unit features Bobby Ryan and his great shot playing alongside <span>Mike Hoffman</span> and <span>Mika Zibanejad</span>. Hoffman has been a pleasant surprise, already besting last season's total production over 25 games with eight goals and six assists in 27 this season. Zibanejad has been quite productive with eight goals and seven assists. The 21-year old has also been somewhat hot as of late with four goals and three assists over the last five games. This isn't to say that someone like, say, Chiasson can't do any damage. It's just that their top six draws a greater concern as they've been quite productive and play more.</p>
<p><b>Expect One Move for Ottawa: </b><a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/PxPOttawa/status/544922009839620096">Brown tweeted that Jean-Gabriel Pageau will play tonight,</a> but it's not yet known who he would replace. It may be Curtis Lazar as he could still be loaned to Canada for the World Junior Championships. It may be someone else like <span>Colin Greening</span>. If it were me, it'd be for <span>Chris Neil</span> but for some reason, he's untouchable in Ottawa. Pageau hasn't played a game for Ottawa this season, but in past call-ups, he was largely relegated to bottom-six minutes and hasn't produced all that much. Perhaps Cameron is expecting him to provide to proverbial "energy" to the lineup.</p>
<p><b>One More Suggestion: </b>Should Chris Phillips play tonight, I want the Devils to attack him all night long. He's been playing a lot of defense and he contributes little to the offense. Please pin him and his partner back.</p>
<p><b>Your Take: </b>From a personal standpoint, I'd like to see the Devils win a home game for the first time since November 11. Will they do so tonight? Would you want them to win this game? What do you think they need to do in order to score more goals than their opposition? Please leave your answers and other thoughts about tonight's game in the comments. Thank you for reading.</p>
https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2014/12/17/7405983/new-jersey-devils-vs-ottawa-senators-game-preview-33John Fischer