So… do we give the Devils’ players some celebratory stick taps before the game…?

Jesper Bratt and colleagues helped eliminate the Red Wings and thus, clinch a 2025-26 playoff spot for the Ottawa Senators yesterday evening. Now, they return to New Jersey to face a Sens squad who did the two-hour drive over from UBS Arena to the Prudential Center to finish this season’s collection of back-to-back contests.

The Senators enter tonight in WC1, tied with the Boston Bruins with 96 points but ahead on the regulation win tiebreaker. Get this: the Senators have 37 regulation wins, six (!) more than the Bruins! Boston finishes their regular season on Tuesday against New Jersey, so Ottawa will know what potential fate awaits for their playoff matchups in Game 82.

Sens lineups

We don’t know much about how the Sens will roll their lines tonight, but do know that the big boys are taking a rest day. In their place: Stephen Halliday, Hayden Hodgson, Cameron Crotty, and Dennis Gilbert, who returns from his injury.

Per Travis Green; Chabot, Sanderson, Stützle, Tkachuk all scratched this evening. Reimer starts.

— Murray Pam (@pammerhockey.bsky.social) 2026-04-12T20:59:48.832ZDevils lineups

Here’s how the Devils lined up last night against the Red Wings. We can expect a similar lineup, just with Nico Daws in net instead of Jake Allen.

Former Sens Zack MacEwen and Stefan Noesen are injured for New Jersey, along with Jacob Markstrom, Arseny Gritsyuk, Luke Hughes, and Brett Pesce.

How we’re movin’ in Motown. pic.twitter.com/kGlUOKPD46

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) April 11, 2026
Game notesWhat went wrong with the Devils this year? For one, their shooting percentage dried up: 4th in shots per game would usually do you better than 27th in goals per game. Sheldon Keefe’s squad will have to do a deep dive in the offseason, though, because their CF% and xGF% show a discrepancy between the quantity and quality of the shots they do generate. This was supposed to be a year that the Devils competed for the Cup, and you can see that in the relative lack of young players on their roster. Even though they’re eliminated, their youngest players are 21-year-old Lenni Hämeenaho up front and 22-year-old Simon Nemec on the back end. I’m excited to see Stephen Halliday back in the lineup. He’s played well enough offensively and defensively that I think he should be a candidate to play on the fourth line during this playoff run. Two good games will go a long way in making him the first replacement in case of injury (or extended lost time for Brady Tkachuk). I was wondering if any of Ottawa’s depth players would get a rest because a few, like Ridly Greig, looked to be labouring near the end of yesterday’s game. Hopefully the weekdays outside of Wednesday night’s tilt against Toronto gives everyone a chance to rest up. Statistics

Game 81SenatorsDevils
Category#Rank#Rank
Goals/GP3.368th2.7827th
Goals against/GP313th3.0818th
Shots/GP28.89th29.74th
Shots against/GP24.42nd27.413th
Powerplay %23.48th2213th
Penalty Kill %75.529th79.417th
Corsi % (5v5 SVA)53.44th50.7712th
xGF% (5v5 SVA)54.953rd49.5618th

SenatorsDevils
CategoryPlayer#Player#
GoalsStützle34Jack Hughes27
AssistsStützle49Bratt49
PointsStützle83Jack Hughes75
ShotsTkachuk221Meier266
TOI/GPSanderson24:50Luke Hughes23:01