Ottawa has opened the NHL season with the kind of energy that can quickly change expectations. The Senators bring a 4-1-0 record into Monday night’s road meeting with New Jersey, while the Devils enter at 2-2-0 after an emphatic win over Vancouver.
The game begins shortly after 7 p.m. ET at Prudential Center in Newark on Monday, October 12. For Ottawa, another victory would provide more evidence that its impressive first week is built on substance rather than a brief early-season surge.
New Jersey will have a different objective. The Devils want to build on their latest performance, protect home ice and prove that their most dangerous players can dictate the tempo against one of the league’s hottest teams.
Ottawa’s Early Success Has Come From Its Core Players
A fast start does not guarantee a successful season, but Ottawa has already shown several traits that matter over an 82-game schedule. The Senators have received reliable goaltending, timely offense and meaningful contributions from the players expected to carry the club.
That combination helped Ottawa defeat Nashville 3-2 in a shootout on Saturday. The result extended the Senators’ strong opening stretch and set up a more demanding challenge in New Jersey. Beating the Devils on the road would arguably be the most impressive result of Ottawa’s young season.
The Senators are also demonstrating that they can win in different ways. They have not needed one dominant performance every night; instead, they have found enough offense, defended effectively and remained composed when games tightened late.
That balance will be tested against a Devils lineup capable of creating chances in transition. Ottawa cannot rely solely on its recent momentum. It will need to manage the puck, limit dangerous rushes and make the most of its opportunities at the other end.
Tim Stützle Has Become the Center of Ottawa’s Attack
Tim Stützle has been Ottawa’s most influential offensive player through the first five games. The German center has collected four goals and four assists for eight points, giving him a direct role in much of the Senators’ early production.
He also scored on the power play and recorded an assist in the shootout win over Nashville. Those numbers reflect more than simple finishing ability. Stützle is consistently involved in the sequences that force opposing defenses to react.
His skating allows him to carry the puck through the neutral zone at speed, while his passing vision creates openings for teammates arriving late. When defenders give him space near the slot or the goal line, he can also turn a small opening into a scoring chance.
New Jersey will therefore have to account for him on every shift. The Devils cannot focus only on preventing shots from Stützle; they must also prevent him from pulling defenders out of position and creating opportunities for Ottawa’s supporting cast.
If he continues producing at this rate, Stützle’s start will become one of the most notable early-season stories in Canadian hockey. Monday’s matchup offers him another opportunity to establish control against a talented opponent.
Linus Ullmark Gives the Senators Room for Error
Ottawa’s offensive progress has received most of the attention, but Linus Ullmark has been equally important. The goaltender is 4-0-0 through his first four starts, with a 1.34 goals-against average and a .942 save percentage.
Those figures give the Senators a significant advantage in a game that could be decided by a single mistake. A goaltender making timely saves can preserve a lead, calm a team during difficult stretches and keep a road club within striking distance when momentum shifts.
Ullmark’s form will be especially valuable against New Jersey’s high-end forwards. The Devils can generate chances quickly when Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes find space, so Ottawa’s defense will need help from its goaltender as well as sharper coverage in front of the crease.
The Senators do not need to play a flawless game if Ullmark continues to perform at this level. However, giving New Jersey repeated chances from dangerous areas would eventually place too much pressure on even an in-form netminder.
New Jersey’s Power Play Is the Biggest Warning Sign
The Devils arrive with confidence after defeating Vancouver 4-1 at Prudential Center on Saturday. New Jersey moved to 2-2-0, and the performance gave its top players an important boost before the final game of the homestand.
Nico Hischier led the way with two goals and an assist. His opening goal marked the 200th of his NHL career, adding a personal milestone to an already productive night. Bratt contributed a goal and an assist, while Hughes supplied two assists.
New Jersey’s special teams were particularly effective. The Devils scored three power-play goals on four opportunities, with Hischier accounting for two and Bratt adding the other. That efficiency could become the defining factor against Ottawa.
The Senators must stay disciplined from the opening faceoff. Penalties against a unit featuring Hischier, Bratt and Hughes can quickly erase the value of strong five-on-five play. Ottawa’s penalty kill will need sharp positioning, clear communication and immediate pressure on puck carriers.
New Jersey will likely try to turn the game into a physical, emotionally charged contest in which Ottawa spends too much time defending. The Senators should avoid unnecessary penalties and force the Devils to create offense at even strength.
Hischier and Stützle Set the Tone Down the Middle
The center matchup provides one of the clearest individual storylines. Stützle enters the game as Ottawa’s leading offensive catalyst, while Hischier is coming off a three-point performance that reminded everyone of his two-way influence.
Both centers can change a game without dominating the puck for an entire shift. Stützle can accelerate through open ice and create scoring plays with his speed, whereas Hischier combines responsible defensive work with excellent timing around the net.
The battle will extend beyond the offensive zone. Each player is trusted in important situations, and both can influence special teams. The center who wins more faceoffs, makes cleaner exits and creates better possession sequences could give his team the territorial advantage.
That does not mean the winner of the individual matchup will automatically determine the final score. Hockey games are shaped by defensive pairs, goaltending and special teams as well. Still, the performance of Hischier and Stützle should reveal which team is controlling the game’s most important areas.
Game Details and the Main Question
Ottawa and New Jersey meet at Prudential Center in Newark on Monday, October 12, with puck drop scheduled for 7:08 p.m. ET. The Senators enter at 4-1-0, and the Devils begin the night at 2-2-0.
Ottawa can improve to 5-1-0 by winning, but the broader objective is just as significant: prove that the club can maintain its pace against strong competition away from home. Stützle’s creativity and Ullmark’s early-season reliability give the Senators a strong foundation.
New Jersey has the home crowd, renewed confidence and a power play that just produced three goals in one game. If Ottawa remains disciplined and prevents the Devils from establishing offensive-zone pressure, the Senators should have a realistic chance to extend their remarkable opening run.
The central question is whether Ottawa’s balanced attack and dependable goaltending can withstand New Jersey’s speed, finishing talent and special-teams threat. The answer could make Monday night one of the clearest early indicators of how seriously the Senators should be taken this season.
