Tim Stutzle contributed a goal and an assist as the Ottawa Senators beat the New Jersey Devils 4-1 at Prudential Center on Monday, pushing their winning run to three games.
Shane Pinto, Stephen Halliday, and Tyler Kleven also found the net for Ottawa, while Linus Ullmark made 29 saves to help the Senators move to 5-1-0. The club has now claimed at least five of its opening six contests for the third time in franchise history, matching 5-0-0 starts in 2005-06 and 2007-08.
Arseny Gritsyuk netted New Jersey’s lone goal, and Nico Daws stopped 16 shots as the Devils dropped to 2-3-0 after defeating the Vancouver Canucks 4-1 on Saturday.
Senators seize control with second-period tallies
Ottawa required only nine seconds of the second period to snap the deadlock. Pinto gathered Michael Amadio’s centering pass from the left face-off circle and unleashed a wrist shot from the slot to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
The Senators doubled their lead at 8:40, converting on a power play. Devils defenseman Brett Pesce lost his footing, opening space for Stutzle to locate Halliday uncovered between the circles. The forward capitalized, giving Ottawa a two-goal advantage.
New Jersey coach Sheldon Keefe was displeased with his team’s start to the period, especially after the Devils had navigated nine minutes of penalty time in the opening frame.
“Right from the drop of the puck, our brains weren’t switched on to start the period,” Keefe said. He called the goal particularly frustrating because some of the team’s most seasoned players were on the ice.
Stutzle reaches NHL milestone as Ottawa builds lead
Stutzle added to his strong performance at 11:10 of the third period, redirecting Thomas Chabot’s shot from the point past Daws to make it 3-0.
His assist on Halliday’s goal had already tied him with Christian Ehrhoff for the third-most assists by a German-born player in NHL history, at 265. Only Leon Draisaitl, with 625, and Jochen Hecht, with 277, have recorded more.
“It’s not about one guy in the room; it’s about everyone,” Stutzle said. While acknowledging the personal milestone, he emphasized that his focus remained on helping Ottawa win games.
The forward also commended the team’s atmosphere and collective mindset, explaining that the Senators were working hard for each other and improving with every game. He said the group was keeping a balanced outlook rather than getting swept up by positive results.
Devils push back, but Senators stand strong
New Jersey briefly seemed to have cut the deficit when Jesper Boqvist scored at 11:58 of the third period. However, Ottawa successfully challenged the goal for goaltender interference, maintaining its three-goal lead.
Gritsyuk finally put the Devils on the board at 14:59, beating Ullmark with a wrist shot from between the circles. New Jersey held a significant shot advantage in the final period, outshooting Ottawa 14-3, but struggled to convert that pressure into goals.
Forward Jesper Bratt felt the Devils had depended too heavily on attacks from the outside rather than directing enough pucks toward the middle, where Ottawa was protecting the most dangerous areas. Keefe acknowledged that his team needed to find ways to score when chances were difficult to generate.
Kleven erased any remaining comeback hopes by scoring into the empty net at 17:53, sealing Ottawa’s 4-1 victory. Senators coach Travis Green praised his players for their determination, saying the group had remained focused despite injuries and had made a strong start to the season.
Ullmark shines as Ottawa awaits injury updates
Ullmark’s 29-save effort continued his perfect start to the campaign, improving his record to 5-0-0. He became the third goaltender in Senators history to win at least his first five games of a season, joining Ray Emery, who won six straight in 2005-06, and Dominik Hasek, who won five in the same season.
Ottawa also received encouraging news regarding its defensive options. Green said Jake Sanderson, who has an undisclosed injury, and Artem Zub, who is recovering from a knee injury, were close to returning. Neither was expected to make his season debut against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.
Defenseman Nikolas Matinpalo will be reevaluated on Tuesday after sustaining an upper-body injury when Devils forward Anthony Mantha hit him head-first into the boards. Mantha received a five-minute major for boarding.
Stutzle has also continued to produce on the road, recording a point in each of Ottawa’s first four away games. The only German player with a longer streak to begin a season is Draisaitl, who recorded runs of eight games in 2022-23 and six in 2020-21.
For New Jersey, Jack Hughes extended his point streak to three games, collecting four assists during that span. The Devils also placed forward Connor Brown on injured reserve retroactive to September 28.