New Jersey Devils relied on their star goalie Jacob Markstrom on Thursday in a 3-1 win over the Ottawa Senators in Canadian Tire Centre. The 34 year-old face 32 shots, saving 31 of them and helping a Devils team that needed a sharp second period to keep from slipping into a two-game losing skid.
“The more games we play together, the better chemistry I feel like we have,” said Markstrom about his calming affect on the game. “I though they (defense) did a fantastic job today. Penalty kill is doing a great job all year and then the guys make it easy for me today.”
Markstrom’s marquee moment came in the third period when he made two fantastic stops, the first on a long range effort and the second off the rebound where he needed the right blocker to keep the game at a two-goal advantage. Ottawa wasn’t without their share of bad luck either as they hit the post four times in the game. Still, Markstrom made up for what has become common this season for the Devils, momentary failures in concentration.
On this day the Devils were able to compensate for their lapses with good goaltending and timely goals. The second period set the tone for their victory when they pushed for the opener from Erik Haula and then solidifying their momentum with a shorthanded goal from Nathan Bastian. This sent Ottawa scrambling and wondering why they weren’t able to take advantage of their moments in the first and third period.
“The game was up for grabs and we get a big goal from our own zone back to the back of their net,” said Markstrom on the opening effort. “Penalty kill comes up big with Bas(tian) scoring a big goal for us. It was a solid game, through and through.”
The win makes up for a lackluster performance in Raleigh on Tuesday and keeps the teams hopes high. The Devils have been one of the busier teams in their division, having already played seven games and garnered five wins over that span. They sit in first place, awaiting the rest of the division to catch up while also setting the pace.
Next up is a return home for the Devils as they host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday. It will be yet another test from a veteran team and Sheldon Keefe’s men will look to prove themselves as the team to beat in the Metropolitan Division.