Many people had off from work Monday because of President’s Day, for the Devils and Senators not even overtime was enough as Ottawa prevailed 2-1 in a shooutout Monday afternoon.
Jakob Silfverberg scored the only goal in the shootout as the Devils lost their second in a row and third in four games. Senators goalie Ben Bishop, Ottawa’s 6’7 goalie, stood tall in net making 30 saves and didn’t allow any Devils to score in the shootout.
“He played pretty good. I couldn’t see any net, so I don’t think these guys could see any net,” Martin Brodeur (29 saves) said after the game.
The Devils scored 1:19 into the game, as Stephen Gionta put a rebound past Bishop on the Devils’ second shot of the game to give them a 1-0 lead. They would add 17 more shots in the first period alone in a dominant first period, but still the lead was one goal.
“We came, we played 65 [minutes], we just fell a little short there. We got a point,” defenseman Bryce Salvador said. “I think both teams had chances to score tonight. Rarely do you dominate a team 60 minutes straight. But I think tonight maybe we left the point on the table.”
The Senators controlled most of the action in the second period, outshooting the Devils 9-4. Silfverberg almost got the game even at 1-1, clanking a shot off the post. That was followed by a Patrick Wiercioch shot from 50 feet out which Brodeur saved but looked behind him to make sure the puck hadn’t trickled in the net.
Daniel Alfredsson tied the game midway through the third period with a backhand that went over Brodeur’s left shoulder. The point the Devils gained tied them with Pittsburgh for first in the Atlantic Division with 22 points, but they know there were chances to get two points and be alone on top.
“We had some opportunities to get the second goal tonight at different points. Obviously we let them hang around and that’s what happens,” head coach Pete DeBoer said.
Patrik Elias had the two best chances for the Devils to increase their 1-0 lead, first taking a David Clarkson cross ice pass on a 2-on-1, but lost control of puck which made for an easy save by Bishop. Halfway through the period after taking a pass from Bobby Butler, Elias was also denied by Bishop, who ranged to his left and made the pad save.
The final 13 seconds of the period was perhaps the Devils’ undoing as Clarkson received a 10-minute misconduct and Elias was in the box for most of overtime with two successive double-minors. That meant Clarkson was unavailable for the shootout.
“Those are two of your top six guys [out] so, that hurt,” DeBoer said.”
The Devils used Ilya Kovalchuk (miss), and Elias (save) in the shootout, while Alfredsson hit the post for the Senators before Silfverberg scored. That left it all on the stick of former Senator Bobby Butler, who missed the net. DeBoer chose him because he was with the team the past three seasons.
“Obviously I wish it went the other way but I’m glad I got a chance,” Butler said. “I just tried to freeze him a little and just missed my shot.”
david.satriano@nypost.com