Erik Haula and Nathan Bastian scored their first goals of the season to push the New Jersey Devils past the host Ottawa Senators 3-1 on Thursday.
Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom stopped 30 shots, allowing only Brady Tkachuk’s power-play goal with 65 seconds left. Claude Giroux and Jake Sanderson assisted on Tkachuk’s first goal of the campaign.
Markstrom’s saves included a slide to deny Tyler Kleven off a rebound just 2:22 into the third period. That shot forced the netminder acquired from Calgary in June to do the splits as he went to his right.
With their third victory in four games since Saturday, the Devils became the first NHL team this season to reach the five-win plateau.
Haula gave the Devils the lead less than three minutes into the second period. For his first goal of the season, the center stood in the slot and redirected Johnathan Kovacevic’s shot from the blue line past Senators goalie Anton Forsberg. Timo Meier got the second assist.
Less than four minutes later, the Devils doubled their advantage while on the penalty kill. Bastian intercepted a Claude Giroux pass and skated from the Devils’ end of the ice to the faceoff circle to Forsberg’s right. There, the right winger scored for his first career short-handed goal.
Paul Cotter scored his team-high fifth goal of the season with 7:21 remaining in the game. The left wing crashed the net when Dougie Hamilton shot on goal and collected the rebound. The assist was Hamilton’s first point of the season, with Brenden Dillon credited for the other assist.
The loss aside, Forsberg fared better in his second consecutive start. After being benched in the second period during Ottawa’s come-from-behind 8-7 overtime victory Monday against the visiting Los Angeles Kings, he made 33 saves against the Devils.
Senators No. 1 goalie Linus Ullmark missed his second straight game with a lower-body strain. However, the Ottawa Citizen reported earlier in the day that he took part in an optional team skate on Thursday morning. Depending on how he participates in Friday’s session, he could be back in goal Saturday afternoon against the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning.
–Field Level Media
