The Buffalo Sabres visited the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night, and put on a display not seen by this group in a good while. The blue and gold played with confidence and conviction en route to a 5-3 victory against New Jersey inside the Prudential Center.
New Jersey opened the scoring less than five minutes into the contest. Forward Tyce Thompson, younger brother of Buffalo's Tage, took a low shot that bounded off the pads of Linus Ullmark. There to take advantage of the rebound was defenseman Damon Severson, whose third goal of the season gave the Devils a 1-0 edge.
The Sabres evened the score near the halfway point of the opening period. Rasmus Asplund and Casey Mittelstadt teamed up for a pretty 2-on-1 goal that was set up by a great defensive play by Asplund, the eventual goal-scorer.
Buffalo then took the lead inside the final minute of the first frame, when a red-hot Brandon Montour showed off a nice set of hands for his fourth goal in the last five games.
Unfortunately for the Sabres, that was not the last goal of the period. With just 0.3 seconds left in the frame and the Devils on a powerplay, forward Jesper Bratt snuck a puck past Ullmark to make it a 2-2 contest after 20 minutes of play.
With 11:03 gone in the second period, New Jersey took the lead back courtesy of a birthday boy. Forward Pavel Zacha celebrated his 24th birthday in style, scoring his eighth goal of the season after being robbed on his first shot. Zacha buried his second-chance opportunity to make it 3-2 Devils.
Buffalo had another answer, and tied the game a little over four minutes later. It was another blue-liner getting in on the fun, as Rasmus Dahlin showcased his longed offensive presence with a smooth take to the net.
Dahlin was at it again in the third period, this time offering a slick powerplay assist. After a tight-rope act to keep the puck in the zone, the former first-overall pick found Mittelstadt creeping down the weak side and Casey did the rest.
Rasmus Ristolainen and the Sabres added an empty-net goal for good measure, as they withstood a late surge from the Devils to emerge victorious by a final score of 5-3. The win was Buffalo's ninth of the season as they now boast a five-game point streak (3-0-2).
Losi and Gangi Three Stars of the Game:
1.) Casey Mittelstadt - BUF
2.) Jesper Bratt - NJD
3.) Rasmus Dahlin - BUF
What's Next:
The script flips for these two teams, as on Thursday night it will be the Sabres playing host to the Devils in Buffalo. Puck drop inside KeyBank Center is set for 7 p.m. EST, and the Paul William Beltz Pregame Show with Mike Schopp and the Bulldog starts at 6 p.m. EST on the radio home of the Buffalo Sabres - WGR Sports Radio 550.