Devils at Senators
Andrew Hammond is poised to make his season debut for the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, but he has an impossible act to follow - his own. Hammond, who took the NHL by storm and spearheaded Ottawa's dramatic late-season surge into the playoffs, will be in net when the Senators continue a four-game homestand against the New Jersey Devils.
Hammond became the second netminder in history to earn at least one point in his first 15 career starts (14-0-1) but he has been sidelined since suffering a groin injury on Oct. 1. "I feel healthy and my game is going in the right direction," Hammond told the Ottawa Sun. "All in all I'm very happy with where my game is at right now. Ottawa will be trying to halt a two-game skid after falling in a shootout to Nashville 4-3 on Saturday. The Devils have rebounded from an 0-3-1 start with consecutive overtime wins over the New York Rangers and Arizona Coyotes.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, MSG Plus (New Jersey), RDS, TSN5 (Ottawa)
ABOUT THE DEVILS (2-3-1): Defenseman Adam Larsson was held off the scoresheet for the first five games before picking up an assist and scoring the game-winning goal in overtime Tuesday, capping a night in which he played a team-high 23:55 and blocked three shots. "What's been surprising with him is his professionalism," New Jersey coach John Hynes said of Larsson. "He's an everyday guy. He's really focused and he has the details around the game in order." Forward Tuomo Ruutu has missed the past two games and was spotted in a walking boot after Tuesday's game.
ABOUT THE SENATORS (3-2-1): Hammond became a cult hero during his storybook start to his career, earning the nickname the "Hamburglar" en route to producing a remarkable 20-1-2 record. He permitted two goals or fewer in his first 12 starts to match an NHL record dating to 1938-39 and finishing with a 1.79 goals-against average. “It’s a challenge, but Andrew has proved what he can do in this league,” Senators assistant coach Andre Tourigny said. “I’m sure he will be ready. Mentally he is at the right place."
OVERTIME
1. New Jersey won two of three meetings last season, including a 3-2 overtime victory in Ottawa.
2. Senators D Marc Methot will sit out his second straight game but could be available Saturday.
3. The Devils assigned F Reid Boucher to Albany of the American Hockey League.