G34 New Jersey Devils @ Ottawa Senators: Keep building

The Devils have won back-to-back games and are in a prime spot to grab another win against a vulnerable Senators team.

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A few notes to get you set for New Jersey vs. Ottawa:

Change takes time

One of the biggest things that plagued the Senators under head coach DJ Smith was their inability to defend. It didn’t matter what Smith did or how much the personnel changed; the same problems remained.

Jacques Martin was brought in with the idea that he could bring more structure and stability to finish out the season. While that may yet be the case, we haven’t seen any improvement thus far – albeit over just a four-game sample.

The numbers the Senators have posted under Martin are nothing short of putrid. Ottawa has conceded a league-worst 4.16 expected goals per 60 across all situations. That has translated into 3.81 actual goals against per 60, which is also near the very bottom of the league.

They are giving up quality chances in bulk and they don’t have the goaltending to mask their defensive shortcomings. It’s a real recipe for disaster.

Timo Meier is starting to look a lot like the $8+ million player the Devils are paying him to be. That means they now have stars capable of taking games over on three different lines, making them an extremely difficult team to match-up against.

The Devils should cause a vulnerable Senators defense a world of problems in this one.

Expect noise from No. 86