NEWARK, N.J. _ The Devils, up two goals, were 75 seconds from a very satisfying return to game action after a week-long break.
They finally got the win. But it took longer than they expected.
The Senators scored twice in the final 1:15 of regulation to tie the game but the Devils won a 5-4 shootout on Friday night at Prudential Center, the 10th anniversary of the first game in the building, which happened to be a 4-1 win by the Senators.
Keith Kinkaid made 23 saves for the Devils (7-2-0), who had not played since a 3-0 loss to the visiting Sharks on Oct. 20 but were starting a stretch of nine games in 17 days.
The Devils were without right wing Kyle Palmieri (lower body), who was hurt during Sunday's practice, and goalie Cory Schneider, who has recovered from the lower-body injury he suffered in a 5-4 overtime win at Ottawa on Oct. 19 but was with his wife, Jill, as she gave birth to the couple's second child, Remy Elizabeth.
Schneider, who needs to be activated off injured reserve, may be available for Saturday night's game against the winless Coyotes. That game is the nightcap of a first-of-its-kind, one-ticket doubleheader at Prudential Center as the Metropolitan Riveters of the National Women's Hockey League host the Boston Pride at 1:30 p.m.
Earlier this month, the Devils became the first NHL team to partner with a NWHL franchise.
Mike Condon made 21 saves for the Senators (5-1-5). Mark Stone pulled the Senators within a goal with 1:15 left in regulation as the Senators skated six on five and Christopher DiDomenico tied it with 36.6 seconds remaining.
In the shootout, Tom Pyatt scored in the second round for the Senators, Drew Stafford kept the Devils alive in the third round and rookie Jesper Bratt, with a deft stop-and-start move to deke out Condon, won it with a backhander in the fourth round.
The Devils' two-penalty effort was a vast improvement born out of coach John Hynes structuring the practices during the week between games so there were consequences for the slashing penalties _ and other stick infractions _ that are being called much closer by the referees this season.
Through their first eight games, the Devils had been called for 47 penalties, an average of 5.88 per game, and the Devils' opponents had averaged 5.25 power plays per game.
Included among those 47 penalties were nine slashing calls, six tripping penalties, five hooking infractions and three high-sticking penalties, two of them double minors.
The Senators, with the NHL's top penalty-kill unit, built a two-goal lead in the first as Hoffman, off DiDomenico's feed on the odd-man rush, made it 1-0 at 7:18. And ex-Devil Johnny Oduya, along with Devils captain Andy Greene, the only two players dressed for Friday's game that also played in the first-ever game at The Rock, beat a screened Kinkaid from above the left circle at 17:14 with Severson playing without a stick after his snapped while trapping to take a shot at the other end.
Jimmy Hayes, with his first point since the season opener, cut the Senators' lead to 2-1 at 18:12 of the first period with a shot from the left circle set up by Pavel Zacha.
Adam Henrique's power-play goal _ Zach Smith was furious after being called for a faceoff violation at 9:50 of the second period _ tied the game at 2 at 10:52 and marked the first power-play goal the Senators have allowed on the road this season. Will Butcher notched his 10th assist of the season as Henrique flipped in the rebound of the rookie defenseman's blue-line shot.
Brian Gibbons, with his team-leading fourth-goal, gave the Devils a 3-2 lead at 18:07 of the second period. Gibbons' career high is five goals with the Penguins in 2013-14.
Defenseman Damon Severson, with his first goal of the season, pushed the Devils' lead to 4-2 at 14:10 of the third period on a shot from the left wall through traffic.
