What a night it was for the Devils. Saturday night, the New Jersey Devils (9-9-1) earned a much-needed 7-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres (9-10-2), ending a three-game losing streak. The Devils were in a spiral brought on by goaltending, injuries, and a lack of finishing, but they did a complete 180 last night.
Summary
First Period
Unlike most of their games this season, the Devils came ready to play in the first period. In fact, it was probably their best first period of the season. New Jersey jumped down Buffalo’s throat immediately, looming menacingly in the offensive zone.
The Devils quickly opened the scoring at the 1:31 mark, with Dougie Hamilton sending a pass behind the net to Erik Haula, who fed Alexander Holtz in the high slot for the snap shot. They continued to buzz in the offensive zone afterward, going in hard on every loose puck to keep control.
Jack Hughes drew what appeared to be a cross-checking penalty midway through the period, leading head coach Lindy Ruff to pull Vitek Vanecek for the six-on-five attack. The Devils set up and maintained control for an extended stretch. Deep into an offensive zone shift, Jack Hughes sent the puck into traffic in front of the net, where Tyler Toffoli capitalized on a mad scramble in the crease for a goal at the 11:09 mark.
Nico Hischier, returning from injury. for his first game in a month, extended the Devils’ lead to three goals at the 15:23 mark, using his body to deflect an Ondrej Palat rebound past Eric Comrie. Sabres coach Don Granato considered challenging for a kicking motion, but eventually let the goal stand.
New Jersey wasn’t done yet; at the 18:27 mark, Jesper Bratt motored into the offensive zone and dished the puck to a trailing Ondrej Palat at the far circle, who ripped the Devil’s fourth goal past Comrie. After the next play, Brendan Smith got in a scrap with Connor Clifton, who injured Nico Hischier in October (he won, of course).
The Devils had a fantastic first period, rarely leaving the offensive zone. They posted a Corsi-for percentage (CF%) of 72.22 and an expected goal percentage (xG%) of 85.25. More than just the numbers, however, they looked energized and ready to play, going hard on pucks and finishing shots.
Second Period
Granato pulled Comrie in favor of Devon Levi after a disastrous first period for the Sabres. Buffalo got the jump on New Jersey to start the period, pinning them into their own zone on the first shift. Dougie Hamilton took an ill-advised tripping penalty in an attempt to clear the zone, sending the Sabres to their first power play of the night. The Devils were killing the penalty off nicely, but Alex Tuch slid the puck into the slot, where Jeff Skinner was waiting to pot the Sabres’ first goal at the 1:53 mark.
But New Jersey didn’t let the game get away from them. Soon after Buffalo’s goal, Jack Hughes carried the puck into the offensive zone, sent it to his brother Luke, who dished it to Holtz, who wristed a shot that rebounded dangerously in the crease for a waiting Toffoli, who buried his second goal of the night at the 2:44 mark.
The Devils didn’t score again in the second period but continued to put the pressure on. They notched a 69.23 CF% and an 86.95 xG%. By the end of the period, the Devils had outshot Buffalo 21-5 and spent over 50% of the game in the offensive zone.
Third Period
Dawson Mercer extended the lead to four goals at the 0:50 mark, redirecting a Dougie Hamilton blast into Connor Clifton and into the back of the net.
Brendan Smith took a hooking call at the 3:35 mark, putting the Sabres on the man advantage for the second time. Seconds into the power play at the 3:55 mark, Kyle Okposo deflected a shot from Owen Power past Vitek Vanecek. There was nothing Vanecek could do, it was just textbook stick placement from Okposo.
Minutes later, Rasmus Dahlin slashed Nico Hischier, giving the Devils a power play. Luke Hughes capitalized, roaming through the offensive zone to the near circle and wristing it past a helpless Levi at the 5:38 mark for New Jersey’s seventh goal of the night.
The game was essentially in the bag even before the period started, but the Devils had another great frame. They posted a CF% of 75.00 and an xG% of 76.85.
Results
Last night was hands down the best game of the season for New Jersey. They outshot Buffalo 31-11 and had seven players with multiple points. An all-around fantastic game on Hockey Fights Cancer night. They will look to build on this win against the Islanders on Tuesday.
The Devils now own a 9-9-1 record and sit in seventh place in the Metropolitan Divison. The Sabres are 9-10-2 and are tied with the Montreal Canadiens for sixth place in the Atlantic Division.
Game Notes
Offense is the Best Defense
The Devils scored seven goals, but perhaps more impressive is that they held Buffalo to just 11 shots. It’s the first time since April 2013 that that’s happened. The Sabres were mostly relegated to the boards when they were in the Devils’ zone, where they spent precious little of the game. Both their goals were high-quality chances that neither the defense nor Vitek Vanecek could do anything about.
While the Devils played stout defense in their own end, the source of their defensive success was the amount of time they spent in the offensive zone. They spent most of the game there, pouncing on every opportunity to hem the Sabres in. It’s no wonder why the Devils had their best 60 minutes of the season.
Welcome Back, Captain
Nico Hischier made his grand return last night, and he did not disappoint. He looked like his old self, almost making the wait worth it (the key word being almost). He scored a goal and an assist, securing first-star honors for the night. Off the stat sheet, however, Nico was just as impressive. He played his patented style of going hard on pucks and never giving up on a play, energizing the rest of his team. In fact, the whole team looked more energized and well-organized with Hischier back in the lineup. Hischier should be a key piece in the top six going forward.
Other Notes
- In total, 11 different players had a point and seven players had multiple points. Some of the top performers include Tyler Toffoli with two goals, Alexander Holtz with a goal and an assist, Ondrej Palat with a goal and an assist, and of course, Nico Hischier.
- Brendan Smith had a great night in his new role as a fourth-line forward. He made a few nice plays and looked poised throughout the contest. He put up a 61.11 CF% and a 71.05 xG%. It’s a nice change of pace for Smith, who’s struggled on defense this season.
- The only bad news of the night is that Erik Haula left the contest early due to an apparent injury. He did not play in the third period. It remains unclear what injury Haula suffered. Ruff did not have an update after the game.
Up Next
The Devils will play the Islanders at the Prudential Center on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. EST.