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 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
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, who scored his third goal of the season to give 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 power play, 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 power play 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 Mittelstadt did the rest.
Rasmus Ristolainen added an empty-net goal for good measure, as the Sabres 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).
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Losi and Gangi Three Stars of the Game:
1.) Casey Mittelstadt - BUF
2.) Jesper Bratt - NJD
3.) Rasmus Dahlin - BUF
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What's Next:
The script flips for these two teams, as it will be the Sabres playing host to the Devils on Thursday night in Buffalo. Puck drop at KeyBank Center is set for 7 p.m. ET with the Paul William Beltz Pregame Show with the Bulldog starting at 6 p.m. ET on the radio home of the Sabres - WGR Sports Radio 550.