Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier and the Devils hosted Thomas Chabot's Senators tonight, and Sheldon Keefe's group got a loud message at home.
It's been a physical, animated game from the start. The Senators have matched New Jersey hit for hit, and nobody has backed down an inch.
The Devils came into the night at 2-2-0. They beat Vancouver 4-1 on Saturday, but a 6-0 loss on Long Island and a 5-3 home loss to Utah still hang over the start.
Ottawa arrived as one of the league's feel-good stories at 4-1-0. Under its new captain, the Senators look looser and more connected than they have in years.
Hughes has a goal and four points through four games, including three power-play assists. He carries an $8,000,000 cap hit, and expectations come with it.
Then came the reaction. After two periods, boos rained down from the New Jersey crowd, and the frustration was impossible to miss.
Sheldon Keefe's Devils hear it from the home crowd early
Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier have chipped in too, with Hischier scoring twice on the power play. On paper, the stars haven't been the problem.
Boos in October mean one thing. The fan base expected a fast start and isn't seeing one, and the coach is the first to hear about it.
Tom Fitzgerald built this roster to contend. Luke Hughes anchors the blue line on a $9,000,000 cap hit, and Quinn Hughes rumours have swirled about a possible family reunion nearby.
The boos are premature. A 2-2-0 team in a physical game against a hot opponent deserves some patience, and booing after 40 minutes only adds pressure.
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Booing in October is like yelling at the oven because dinner isn't ready yet. It doesn't cook any faster.
The third period gives the Devils a chance to change the mood. Then they head to Detroit on Tuesday for the second half of a back-to-back.
Twenty minutes can turn boos into cheers. If it doesn't, New Jersey's frustration will follow this team to Detroit.
Were Devils fans right to boo after two periods against Ottawa?
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