Let's sashay into this hockey hullabaloo between the New Jersey Devils and the Ottawa Senators. Devils' goalie Jacob Markstrom has been stopping pucks like a brick wall with a quite impressive 90.6% save percentage this season. But there's also been some ice magic from their second netminder Jake Allen, boasting 97.4% save last month. Scary numbers, if you're facing them. We can't forget about the Senators’ goalkeepers, Linus Ullmark with a commendable 91.2% this past month, not quite as scary but still decent.
In the skating part of the game – bet you didn't know I knew technical terms – Devils' top guns are Stefan Noesen, Nico Hischier, and who could ignore their effective little dynamo, Paul Cotter with his shining 4 goals last month. Over in the Senators' court, Tim Stützle and Josh Norris are the workhorses. And Zack MacEwen... let's talk about him. Last season he was apparently auditioning for a ghost role, with -4 plus-minus, but this season he's been spotted on the ice, working his way up.
Now, when we look at the past matchups, the New Jersey Devils have the upper hand, with winning 3 out of 4 games against the Senators in 2023 and 2024. The regular season record doesn't leave much to the imagination either, with the Devils at 4-0-2 and the Senators at 2-0-1. Wow, It's like asking me to choose a steak between medium rare and well done. C'mon guys, I want some suspense!
The recent results are showing some mixed results, with the Devils having a slight edge. I mean, if we paint a picture here, the Senators are pretty much a cat stuck on a tree, while the Devils are the fire department...or at least the guy with the ladder.
In the style of a weather forecaster predicting a bright sunny day, I'd place my bets on the New Jersey Devils. If you nailed me down for a specific number, bare in mind I am a human being with a deep seated fear of carpentry, I'd say a winning margin of 2. To sum it all up:
Albert’s Prediction: New Jersey Devils by 2