3 Takeaways From Devils’ 4-1 Loss to Senators

On Monday night, the New Jersey Devils concluded their three-game homestand, hosting the Ottawa Senators. The club looked to earn their second consecutive win after routing the Vancouver Canucks in a 4-1 victory on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Senators were on the hunt for their fifth win of the season, after defeating the Nashville Predators in the shootout over the weekend.

After putting up four goals in their last game — three of which came on the power play — expectations were higher than ever for the Devils. However, the home team fell short in the end, scoring one lone goal on Linus Ullmark with five minutes left in the third period. 

Despite making a valiant effort at a comeback, the Devils were unable to convert on a multitude of scoring chances, and the end result was a 4-1 loss for New Jersey. 

Penalty Kill Looked Stronger

Just five games into the season, the Devils still need more from their special teams. They were unable to capitalize on either of their power plays, limited to just two shots on goal by the Senators’ stifling defense.

But the undeniable star of the night was the Devils’ penalty kill, which had a massive workload in the opening period. Brenden Dillon was the first player to head to the box after landing a massive hit on former Devil Fabian Zetterlund. They were able to kill off the initial penalty, but headed right back to work when Anthony Mantha received a five-minute boarding major. The Devils would receive three more penalties before the end of the night.

The Senators’ power play finally broke the seal in the second period, allowing them to take a two-goal lead courtesy of Stephen Halliday. Unfortunately, the Devils have been undisciplined when it comes to penalties in recent games. They’ve now given up five goals in their last four games — and their 68.8 kill percentage ranks near the bottom of the league.

After the game, head coach Sheldon Keefe shared how their penalty-ridden start created major difficulties later on. He told reporters, “We want to stay out of the box, but yes, it is disruptive…You saw how we were killing — aggressive, on our toes, competitive, closing fast. That takes a lot out of you.”

Devils Must Be Better in Front of Daws

No one deserved a win more than Nico Daws, who received his second start of the season. His first stint in net did not go as planned, letting in six goals against the New York Islanders. Luckily, he looked a bit sharper this time around. 

Daws was tested throughout the first period, with the Devils outshot 7-4 after 20 minutes. It was certainly no easy feat to keep the game scoreless, considering the sheer number of penalties taken within the opening period. But the Devils rallied behind him on the kill, and the Senators recorded just four shots across five power plays.

Nonetheless, things took a downward spiral at the beginning of the second, when Daws gave up the first goal of the game only nine seconds into the period. He made quite a few impressive saves, batting the puck away to keep the score at 2-0 after 40 minutes. Likewise, he held on for the majority of the third period, until Tim Stützle deflected the puck from the slot and into the net.

For the most part, Daws looked solid. It’s all too easy to point fingers and blame a loss on the goaltender — but the reality is that the Devils have scored only one goal throughout the six periods Daws has been in net. Meaning, his margin of error has been virtually nonexistent. Without proper offense in front of him and consistent defense behind him, it isn’t fair to judge Daws based on goals against and save percentage (SV%) alone.

Comeback Came Too Little, Too Late

In the final period, the Devils outshot their opponent 14-3, paving the way for an admirable comeback attempt. After a stalemate in the first period, they fell behind early in the second, but New Jersey was by far the more dominant team in the third.

For example, they generated 27 scoring chances compared to two from the Senators. In fact, the Devils recorded more than double the number of scoring chances they had during the first and second periods combined. They were also responsible for 90.91% of high-danger scoring opportunities.

Halfway through the final period, it looked like the Devils were on the precipice of a late surge, with a goal from Jesper Boqvist. However, the Senators challenged for goaltender interference and won, leaving the Devils goalless once more.

No doubter. https://t.co/1CUgbV5jK8

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) October 13, 2026

With five minutes left in the game, it was Arseny Gritsyuk who finally put New Jersey on the board, netting his first goal of the season on a feed from Jack Hughes. But an empty-net goal sealed the Devils’ fate soon after, and their offense was stymied, despite creating numerous scoring chances in the final minutes. 

It’s clear that their offense has to find a spark, because their current scoring system is unsustainable. As of right now, the Mantha-Hughes-Bratt line is still trying to establish chemistry. According to MoneyPuck, the trio has produced one goal, and Mantha has yet to notch his first point as a Devil. 

In his postgame interview, Jesper Bratt made it clear that Mantha just needs more time to adjust. He commented, “[Jack & I], we’re instinct players, and we’re fast, and sometimes we’re maybe in areas where we shouldn’t…We want him to be on our line, and we just got to figure that out. I think that once it clicks, it’s going to be a good line.”

Devils Back In Action On Tuesday Night

The Devils will conclude their back-to-back on the road tonight (Oct. 13) against the Detroit Red Wings. Coverage will begin at 6 PM ET on ESPN, kicking off the NHL’s fourth annual Frozen Frenzy.

Can the Devils get back on track with a much-needed win? Or will they fall into the same bad habits that plagued them last season?