Match Overview

After four straight losses, part of a larger stretch in which they have gone 2-10-2, the New Jersey Devils are desperate for a win against the lowly Buffalo Sabres. New Jersey’s most recent defeat was a heartbreaker against the Islanders, a 3-2 loss in the shootout. The losing needs to end, the Devils must bounce back against Buffalo.

Winning against the Sabres shouldn’t be as difficult as some of their recent matchups. The hapless Sabres are 6-16-4, dead last in the division. No one expected them to do amazing things this season, but just a little competence would have been appreciated by Buffalo fans. Things have gotten so bad in western New York that a local newspaper has them ranked 32nd in the league, behind the Seattle Kraken. 

A newspaper in Buffalo has placed the Seattle Kraken ahead of the Sabres in their power rankings 😂 😂 pic.twitter.com/4lYa4Qlnxv

— NHL Chirps (@nhlchirpz) March 15, 2021

For the Devils, this game should be, scratch that, has to be a morale booster against a terrible team. Some improvements have been made, but everything needs to come together. This will be a matchup of bottom-feeders, the Devils are 8-14-4, seventh in the East division. Conversely, the Sabres are 6-16-4, good for eighth place. 

Projected Lines

Devils’ Lines

Forwards:

Johnsson-Hughes-Bratt

Wood-Zacha-Palmieri

Kuokkanen-Zajac-Sharangovich

Gusev-Maltsev-Bastian

Defense:

Smith-Severson

Kulikov-Subban

Murray-Vatanen

Goalies:

Blackwood

Wedgewood

Sabres’ Lines

Forwards:

Hall-Sheahan-Thompson

Olofsson-Staal-Reinhart 

Skinner-Lazar-Mittelstadt

Rieder-Asplund-Okposo

Defense:

Bryson-Ristolainen

Dahlin-Miller

Irwin-Montour

Goalies:

Hutton

Johansson

What/Who to Watch

The Devils Need to Score Early

One frustrating trend New Jersey seems to experience is going into the first intermission trailing. This has been happening for a while now, and it needs to be rectified sooner rather than later. Scoring first gives a team momentum and sucks the morale out of their opponents. 

The Devils are young, however, so this frustration could be fixed with time and development. Head coach Lindy Ruff needs to push his crew in a positive direction, and here is a good place to start.

Seriously, What’s Up with Blackwood?

With the elite play he has shown us throughout his career, I will defend MacKenzie Blackwood through this losing streak. It’s getting harder by the game, however, as his confidence is clearly shaken. His save percentage is down to .900 after a great start. He’s faced some tough lineups recently, and Blackwood can regain some of his mojo against the failing Sabres.

My Prediction

I like to be optimistic, so I’ll say that everything will come together in a 4-1 Devils win.

 Tonight’s game can be seen at 7:00 pm on MSG+.