Matt Murray made 32 saves, and Nick Paul and Connor Brown each contributed a goal and an assist, leading the Ottawa Senators to a 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Monday night.
Nick Holden and Adam Gaudette also scored for the Senators, who have now won two of their last three games.
Holden emphasized the critical role Murray played in the victory.
“He’s the reason we won that game,” Holden said. “In the first two periods, we didn’t play very well and gave them a lot of opportunities, but (Murray) shut the door and kept us in the lead.”
The Senators face a busy schedule with five games in seven nights, beginning with this four-game homestand, albeit with just 500 fans allowed in the Canadian Tire Centre due to restrictions.
Starting the week with a win after the All-Star break was significant for Ottawa.
“To get a win in the first game, especially on a back-to-back, it’s nice,” Holden said. “Our focus is on playing consistently. It’s not always about wins and losses for us; it’s about building consistency as a team. Getting a win helps morale going into tomorrow.”
Nico Hischier scored the lone goal for the Devils, with Nico Daws making 20 saves. New Jersey has now lost seven straight games, all in regulation, and 10 of their last 11.
“We got off to a great start, scored on a power-play goal, didn’t give up a lot for 40 minutes,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. “But we left some chances out there and need to score more than one goal.”
Brown, playing with a broken jaw, returned after missing 10 games and scored midway through the third to seal the win at 4-1.
The Devils managed 10 shots in the third period but couldn’t beat Murray.
“Nobody wants to be where we are,” Hischier said. “It’s on us. Nobody is going to do it for us. We need to dig in. We had good chances but didn’t score those dirty goals… we have to be better.”
With the game tied 1-1, the Devils started strong in the second period but couldn’t break through Murray. Ottawa then took a two-goal lead, scoring twice in nine seconds midway through the period.
Holden gave the Senators the lead, beating Daws through traffic at 7:54. Gaudette followed immediately after the ensuing faceoff, firing a shot past Daws’ blocker side to make it 3-1.
The game began slowly, but the Devils scored first with 8:12 remaining in the first period on a power-play goal as Hischier deflected Jesper Bratt’s shot.
Paul tied the game just over five minutes later, taking a feed in front and pausing to settle the puck, which seemed to throw off Daws.
Game Notes:
- The Devils were without F Jack Hughes, who entered COVID-19 protocols after participating in the NHL All-Star game.
- New Jersey D P.K. Subban played in his 800th regular-season NHL game.
- Devils F Michael McLeod returned to the lineup after an upper-body injury on Jan. 25.
- Senators C Dylan Gambrell and D Nikita Zaitsev also returned from injuries.
UP NEXT:
- Devils: Visit Montreal on Tuesday night in the second game of a three-game trip.
- Senators: Host Carolina on Tuesday night, continuing their four-game homestand.
