The Ottawa Senators won their fourth consecutive game to start the season on Monday afternoon, turning aside New Jersey 4-2.

Daniel Alfredsson had a goal and two assists for the Senators, with Chris Kelly, Dany Heatley and Wade Redden also scoring. Redden’s goal at 5:33 of the third period held up as the winner, with Alfredsson adding a late empty-net goal.

Ottawa’s Luke Richardson (right) tries to get Sergei Brylin of New Jersey clear of Senator goalie Martin Gerber.
(Patrick Doyle/Canadian Press)

Ottawa (4-0) has yet to lose under new coach John Paddock, having won all seven pre-season games.

“We’re obviously very happy to start this way. We knew we had six games in the first eight days and knew if we could come out with a good record there, we’d be off to a good start,” said Alfredsson, who has scored in all four games and has five this season.

Goaltender Martin Gerber was again solid in net, finishing with 27 saves. Gerber was coming off his eighth career shutout in Saturday’s win over the New York Rangers.

The Swiss goaltender, who lost his starter’s job to the now injured Ray Emery, sports a glistening 13-0-1 record in 2007.

“The good thing about this moment is that we’re playing a lot of games and you don’t have time to think or rest too long on your laurels,” Paddock.

“We’re in a stretch where we play a game, have a short practice, then get on a plane and play.”

Ottawa kept their perfect penalty-killing ledger intact and have started the season not allowing a goal in 19 attempts.

“I think the core of the PK unit was doing well at the end of last year and especially in the playoffs,” said veteran defenceman Luke Richardson, in his first year with the Senators.

“I think the confidence has rolled over and in net behind you, Marty Gerber has played great. That gives you the confidence when you know the guy behind you is there to make the save on that point-blank shot and you can take care of the rest.”

Arron Asham and Zach Parise scored for New Jersey (1-2). Martin Brodeur made 33 saves in net, but is now winless in his first two games this season.

New Jersey was playing the third of nine road games before opening in their new building against Ottawa on Oct. 27. The Devils will play at Prudential Center in Newark.

Ottawa eliminated New Jersey in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals in May, but the Devils have undergone changes since then, hiring coach Brent Sutter and losing Scott Gomez and Brian Rafalski to free agency.

Scoring began four minutes into game

Kelly opened the scoring just over four minutes into the game, picking up a loose puck from a scramble and firing a wristshot over Brodeur’s shoulder.

Just over ten minutes later, Ottawa went up 2-0 when Devils defender Andy Greene couldn’t handle a loose puck in his own end. Alfredsson found Heatley in the slot for an easy goal

New Jersey was outshot 17-9 in the period, the second consecutive game they got off to a poor start.

Asham got the Devils on the board late in the second scoring from in close.

It was the first goal Gerber had allowed in more than 122 minutes of play, stretching back to the second period of the team’s win in Toronto on Thursday.

The clubs exchanged goals that needed video review in the third.

Redden skated in from the point to convert a rebound past Brodeur, but Parise replied just over two minutes later by swatting a shot just behind Gerber.

Alfredsson scored with 49 seconds left to seal the result. He and Heatley have accounted for nine of Ottawa’s 12 goals this season.

“The last two periods we played very well and that’s the way we want to play, from our goaltender on out,” said Devils coach Brent Sutter.

“It’s tough to win when you only play two periods and the worst part about it, that period we don’t play well, we don’t even give ourselves a chance because we’re not doing anything right. You can’t wait for something bad to happen to react. You have to initiate.”

Jason Spezza has yet to score, but has six assists after figuring in two of his team’s goals on Monday.

The Senators return to action Wednesday in Atlanta.

With files from the Canadian PressContinue Article

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Tags: Senators, Devils, unbeaten

Posted on May 23rd, 2007 by Klaus Roe
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