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Senators let another one slip away against the Devils

October 20, 2017, 9:52 AM ET [6 Comments]
Jared Crozier
Ottawa Senators Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
These aren't your father's New Jersey Devils.

The Senators got an up-close look at the Fast and Furious version of the Devils, and although they went toe to toe with them for 60+ minutes, they had to settle for the loser's point.

As I predicted yesterday, 2017 first overall pick did get his milestone first goal of his career at the Senators' expense, opening the scoring early on and did one better when he potted his second of the game still in the first period. both goals came within a couple feet of the goalmouth, from right on top of Craig Anderson.

Erik Karlsson had 3 assists, two of them coming on the power play, and Alex Burrows scored the 200th goal of his career, among the highlights for the Senators.

But what will be talked about is how Ottawa gave up a 2 goal lead in the third period on home ice, for the second time this season. How they got a bit of a break and starter Cory Schneider was pulled after 2 periods because of injury and they put just 9 shots on Keith Kincaid in the third period when another goal early would have all but put the game away.

Finally, and maybe most importantly, the topic of discussion will be who was on the ice to start overtime. Why was Karlsson not on the ice to start overtime? Not only that, but why was Tom Pyatt on the ice in 3-on-3 at all? It was the trio of Pyatt, Cody Ceci and Jean-Gabriel Pageau that got caught on the ice for the first 1:20 (Pyatt's bad change led to the winning goal as his replacement Mike Hoffman couldn't get back into the play) because they never got full control of the puck.

Set aside the fact that Anderson should have stopped John Moore's shot, but when you possess the likes of Derick Brassard, Kyle Turris, Mark Stone Bobby Ryan and Hoffman, why Pageau and Pyatt start OT is beyond me, (don't get me started on Karlsson sitting on the bench) especially when New Jersey wasn't exactly starting their "A" line and there was an opportunity for them to get the upper hand early. But the Devils got the line change in, Ottawa didn't, and the rest is history.

While it was a closer result and the Senators did get a point out of it, this one was tougher to take than Tuesday's loss to the Canucks in my opinion, because there were a lot of little things that should have been done better, from a coaching standpoint as well as an on-ice perspective on Thursday night.

Ottawa did do a lot of things right, like keeping the #1 ranked power play in the league scoreless on 4 opportunities, while scoring twice on the power play themselves, so it wasn't all doom and gloom However, on a night where you score 4 times you expect to win a majority of the games.

Logan Brown played less than 5 1/2 minutes, even after Zack Smith left the game midway through with an undisclosed injury (that Boucher didn't offer an update on after the game). If that is the amount of time he is going to get even when the forwards are already a man short, just send him back to Windsor already and get Max McCormick as a fill in on the fourth line. The kid needs to play, and play a lot and he obviously isn't going to get that opportunity here right now.

Credit the Devils for not giving up, and they showed that they might not be playing over their heads as I had suggested yesterday. Led by Taylor Hall's 4 assist night they found a way to win, and they look like they will be more of a force in the Metropolitan Division, or at least the Wild Card race, if they can continue that pace of play.

Not your Father's New Jersey Devils indeed.
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