The Buffalo Sabres celebrated their 50th anniversary in style, delivering a resounding 7-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Monday night, fueled by a five-goal outburst in the first period.
According to Sabers coach Ralph Krueger, the offensive surge was a long time coming.
“The last six games were about building good habits, and the offense we were creating just wasn’t turning into goals,” Krueger said. “Tonight, we saw the payoff. We were on fire in that first period, which was well-deserved.”
Jack Eichel led the way with a goal and two assists, Johan Larsson added three assists, and Conor Sheary broke a 19-game goal drought with two goals of his own.
“We talked about starting strong and sticking to our game plan, and we did exactly that,” forward Rasmus Asplund said. “Even after scoring a couple of goals, we kept pushing. Scoring five in one period shows the character of this team.”
Asplund, Jeff Skinner, Victor Olofsson, and Henri Jokiharju also found the net for Buffalo, improving their record to 13-10-5. Linus Ullmark was stellar in goal, making 44 saves.
The night began with a tribute to the Sabres’ original owners, Seymour H. Knox III and Northrup R. Knox. Current owners Terry and Kim Pegula honored members of the Knox family with golden pucks before the game. Buffalo was awarded the franchise on December 2, 1969.
Eichel kicked off the scoring just 2:46 into the game with his 17th goal of the season. Skinner doubled the lead two minutes after a Devils’ zone turnover, netting his 11th goal. Sheary then scored twice, including a fortunate bounce that saw his shot drop behind Devils goalie Louis Domingue. Asplund capped the first period with his first NHL goal a day before his 22nd birthday.
“It’s a relief to get that first goal finally,” Asplund said. “I’ve been playing well and creating chances, so I knew it was coming.”
Domingue was pulled after allowing five goals on 15 shots and replaced by Mackenzie Blackwood, who made 15 saves in relief.
The Devils, now 9-13-4, face a challenging four-game road trip, starting with a home game against Vegas on Tuesday.
“I’m running out of things to say about why we’re playing like this,” said forward Taylor Hall. “It’s tough to take, especially when we know we can play better. We need to step up.”
Nico Hischier scored the Devils’ lone goal on a power play 8:10 into the second period.
“That first period was unacceptable in every area,” said Devils coach John Hynes. “We need to figure out why we started like that and ensure it doesn’t happen again.”
Game Notes:
- No. 1 overall pick Jack Hughes missed his second consecutive game with a lower-body injury and did not travel with the team. He is day-to-day.
- Sabres RW Kyle Okposo returned to practice for the first time since suffering a concussion on Nov. 26. He expects to return during the upcoming road trip.
- Devils scratched C John Hayden and D Mirco Mueller. The Sabres scratched LW Evan Rodrigues, C Curtis Lazar, and C Jean-Sebastien Dea.
Up Next:
- Devils: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday.
- Sabres: Start a three-game West Coast road trip in Calgary on Thursday.
