The Ottawa Senators will bid to avoid a third straight loss when they open a three-game road trip against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night in Newark, N.J.
Ottawa (36-27-5, 77 points) has dropped back-to-back games after having its eight-game point streak snapped in Tuesday’s road loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
The Senators are clinging to the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, three points up on the Canadiens.
Dylan Cozens scored the lone Ottawa goal in a 5-1 home-ice loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night.
Cozens has three goals and three assists in seven games since being acquired by the Senators from the Buffalo Sabres ahead of the trade deadline.
“I really liked the start of our game,” Senators coach Travis Green said. “The first seven to eight minutes, I thought (we) came out exactly how we wanted to and had a couple really good looks to go up one or 2-0, yet by the end of the period we’re down 4-0 and we’re swimming uphill a little bit.
“It’s easy to say, âHey, keep playing,’ and it’s human to be down that you’re down 4-0. And it is hard. You’re not going come back many nights when you’re down 4-0 against the Colorado Avalanche.”
Ottawa starter Linus Ullmark allowed four goals on 13 shots before being replaced by Anton Forsberg, who stopped 19 shots in the loss.
Ullmark is 18-13-3 in 36 games this season with a .907 save percentage and a 2.80 goals-against average. Forsberg has appeared in 24 games, posting a 9-10-1 record with an .898 save percentage and a 2.74 GAA.
Saturday is the third and final meeting of the season between the two clubs. The teams split the first two games, with the Devils winning 3-1 on Oct. 17 and the Senators picking up a 2-1 win on Jan. 19.
The Devils hope to get back into the win column after blowing a 3-1 lead and falling 5-3 to the Calgary Flames on Thursday.
Captain Nico Hischier had a goal and an assist, and Paul Cotter and Erik Haula also found the back of the net for New Jersey (37-27-6, 80 points), which has lost two of three and is 17-12-4 on home ice this season.
Goaltender Jacob Markstrom allowed four goals on 27 shots and dropped to 1-5-0 in six games since returning from a knee injury on March 2.
Markstrom is 22-14-5 in 42 starts this season, posting a .900 save percentage and a 2.49 GAA.
“The goalie has to make a save, that’s part of the job, but we got to do a better job of protecting him,” Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said. “(Markstrom) is still trying to find his game. I haven’t seen progress (since his return from injury).”
Fellow netminder Jake Allen is 12-13-1 with a .915 save percentage and a 2.53 GAA in 26 appearances.
Jesper Bratt paces the Devils with 60 assists and 80 points in 70 games, while Hischier has a team-leading 29 goals in 64 contests.
With health questions amongst their forward group and a stretch of three games in five days, the Devils recalled forward Nolan Foote of AHL affiliate Utica on Friday afternoon.
