New Jersey Devils defenceman Brendan Smith (2) and teammate Jesper Bratt (63) celebrate a goal scored by Devils centre Nico Hischier, not shown, against the Ottawa Senators during the second period of NHL action in Ottawa, Saturday, April 6, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby
OTTAWA – Brendan Smith had a goal and two assists as the New Jersey Devils snapped a three-game losing streak and survived a late push from the Ottawa Senators to take a 4-3 win Saturday night.
Erik Haula, Ondrej Palat and Nico Hischier also scored for New Jersey (37-36-4), which won the season series 2-1.
Jake Allen made 25 saves.
Jake Sanderson, Claude Giroux and Brady Tkachuk scored for Ottawa (33-39-4), which had its losing streak extended to three games.
Anton Forsberg got the start in net but was pulled in the first period after allowing three goals on just 10 shots.
Joonas Korpisalo allowed one goal on 18 shots in relief.
With the Senators trailing 4-1 to start the third period, Giroux cut the Devils lead in half with a power-play goal from the top of the faceoff circle at 3:37.
Moments later, New Jersey forward Jack Hughes was awarded a penalty shot after Ottawa defenceman Thomas Chabot wrapped his stick around him on a breakaway. Hughes whiffed on the puck with a chance to restore his side’s three-goal edge.
Tkachuk made it a one-goal game with 5:43 left in the third. A Hischier slapshot went wide and wrapped around the boards and down the ice just as Tkachuk was getting on the ice and he broke in alone and beat Allen far side for his 34th of the season.
Sanderson put the Senators on the board with a power-play goal just 33 seconds into the second period. He blasted a shot past Allen from the blue line to make it a 3-1 contest.
The goal allowed the 21-year-old to set a career high in points with 33 (nine goals, 24 assists).
The Devils regained their three-goal lead at 11:04 with Hischier beating Korpisalo in close.
New Jersey jumped out to a 3-0 edge in the opening period.
Haula beat Forsberg under the arm stick side 3:50 into the first.
Palat doubled the lead at 12:36, tipping a Luke Hughes shot.
Smith made it 3-0 with a slapshot from just inside the blue line at 16:34, marking the end of Forsberg’s night.
NOTES – Chabot returned after missing four games with a lower body injury. Ottawa centre Tim Stutzle is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. “¦ Devils defenceman John Marino did not play and is questionable for Sunday’s game against Nashville.
UP NEXT – Ottawa visits Washington to take on the Capitals on Sunday.
New Jersey hosts the Nashville Predators on Sunday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 6, 2024.
