Jack Eichel’s concerns about a lengthy pregame ceremony draining the Sabres’ energy were quickly put to rest as Buffalo jumped to an early lead in their 50th season home opener.
Rookie Victor Olofsson opened the scoring just three minutes in, setting the tone for a 7-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night. The Sabres fed off the energy of a lively home crowd, cruising to an emphatic win.
“I think we were all getting a bit anxious and wanted to keep the crowd engaged,” Eichel said, referring to the ceremony celebrating the team’s history, which delayed the start by nearly 20 minutes after the ice had to be resurfaced. “It was great to come out strong. That got the crowd going, and we rode that momentum.”
On a night where Eichel stood alongside 15 former Buffalo captains in a ceremonial circle, he and his teammates hinted at a promising future for a franchise looking to break an eight-year playoff drought—the longest active streak in the NHL.
Olofsson and Sam Reinhart each scored twice, while Eichel and Jeff Skinner contributed a goal and an assist each. Goalie Carter Hutton was solid in net with 18 saves.
Under new head coach Ralph Krueger, the Sabres followed up their season-opening 3-1 win in Pittsburgh with their first 2-0 start since the 2012-13 lockout-shortened season. Krueger became the fourth coach in Sabres history—and the first since Jim Roberts in 1981—to win his first two games.
“What a fantastic day for our fans, who got to see the heart and soul of this team,” Krueger said. “The guys really stepped up tonight.”
The Devils, coming off a disheartening collapse the night before when they squandered a 4-0 lead in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Winnipeg Jets, struggled from the outset. New Jersey’s goals came from Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac, each scored in the opening minutes of the second and third periods, respectively.
Despite the brief flashes of promise, New Jersey couldn’t keep up with Buffalo’s fast-paced attack, especially on the power play, where the Sabres converted their first three opportunities. Devils goalie Mackenzie Blackwood faced 36 shots, stopping 29, after relieving Cory Schneider in their previous game.
“Right now, there’s a little too much waiting around for someone else to step up,” Zajac said.
Coach John Hynes didn’t mince words about his team’s effort.
“We’re playing soft and looking for an easy game,” Hynes said bluntly.
The Sabers quickly responded after Palmieri’s goal cut Buffalo’s lead to 2-1 early in the second period. Kyle Okposo restored the two-goal cushion by deflecting Rasmus Dahlin’s shot just over two minutes later. Buffalo then scored twice more in the period, capped by Olofsson’s second goal, which came off a fortunate bounce right back to his stick after a misplayed pass.
Even the Sabres’ mistakes seemed to go their way.
“I made a pretty bad pass, but it ended right back on my tape. I was a bit surprised,” Olofsson admitted. “But we kept our composure and played consistently throughout.”
The five-goal victory margin was the largest in a Sabres home opener, and the seven goals were the most since a 9-5 win over Boston in 1974.
“We’re definitely growing as a team, but we’ve got a long way to go,” Okposo cautioned. “It’s only Game 2. There are 80 more to go, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
Game Notes
Among the former Sabres captains present were Gilbert Perreault and 84-year-old Floyd Smith, Buffalo’s first captain. … The game featured the last three No. 1 overall draft picks: Devils rookie Jack Hughes (2019), Nico Hischier (2017), and Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (2018). … Hischier notched his 100th career assist on Palmieri’s goal. … Schneider served as the backup goalie after recovering from cramps that forced him out of the previous game against Winnipeg.
UP NEXT
- Devils: Travel to face the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday.
- Sabres: Visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday.
