Erik Haula scored twice, and Vitek Vanecek made 23 saves as the New Jersey Devils edged out the Buffalo Sabres 5-4 on Friday night.
Haula’s Game-Winner
Haula broke a tie at 14:17 in the third period, securing the lead for New Jersey. He also scored a short-handed goal in the second period.
Devils’ Offensive Contributions
Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt added to the Devils’ tally, marking their third win in four games. Luke Hughes contributed two assists.
“I think we could have played a little bit better, but it’s early, and we’re all trying to get better,” Haula said. “We’re just happy we got two points.”
Haula narrowly missed a hat trick when his stick broke as he attempted to shoot into an empty net with just over a minute remaining.
“It’s a little sad. I don’t have a hat trick, so I don’t know how much closer to that I’m going to get,” he said. “But it would have been worse if they tied that up.”
Sabres’ Efforts and Injuries
Buffalo, who had won two of their last three games, including a 6-4 victory in Ottawa, saw goals from Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, Dylan Cozens, and JJ Peterka. The Sabres are now 3-6-2 in their last 11 games against the Devils.
Eric Comrie made 16 saves for Buffalo before leaving in the second period with a lower-body injury. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen replaced him, finishing with 19 saves. Devon Levi, another Buffalo goalie, also has a lower-body injury.
“We play 82 games. It’s a grind, which is evidence of it,” Sabres coach Don Granato said. “We have to deal with it and make the best of it. Ukko is the least of my concerns. He was good.”
Third Period Action
New Jersey took a 4-3 lead when Jack Hughes scored a power-play goal early in the third period. Hughes now has five goals and 13 assists in seven games this season.
Cozens tied the game at 4 with his third goal of the season at 12:35, extending his point streak to six games.
Haula’s First Goal
Haula scored his first night goal at 13:47 in the second period, breaking away and flipping a backhand past Luukkonen.
Dahlin tied the game again at 3 with his first goal of the season, extending his point streak to seven games.
First Period Highlights
Each team scored twice in the first period. Peterka opened the scoring for Buffalo, and Holtz quickly tied it for New Jersey. Thompson gave the Sabres the lead before Bratt equalized again by stealing the puck and beating Comrie.
Vanecek’s View
“We scored a lot of goals, so that’s always a good thing,” Vanecek said, securing his third win in five games. “Some details can be better, but we won the game, and that’s the most important thing.”
Upcoming Games
- Devils: Host the Minnesota Wild on Sunday.
- Sabres: Host the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday.
