Sabres Defeat the Devils in New Jersey

Buffalo Outscores Despite Being Outshot

Score: Sabres 5, Devils 2

Shots: BUF: 28 NJ: 31

Buffalo Sabres: Goals: Kyle Okposo (21), Alex Tuch (12), Rasmus Dahlin (12), Owen Power (1), Jeff Skinner (32)

New Jersey Devils: Goals: Jesper Boqvist (10), Nikita Okhotiuk (1)

Plus 1: Sabres Score Two Shorthanded

After a relatively quiet and scoreless first period, the boxes saw a lot of action in the second. During a Casey Mittelstadt holding penalty, Kyle Okposo got the breakaway and shot the puck past Devils goalie Andrew Hammond to give Buffalo a 1-0 lead.

During the waning seconds of the Devils’ PP, Alex Tuch got a backhander in the Devils’ net to widen Buffalo’s lead to 2. The Sabres scored two shorthanded goals during the same penalty, the fifth in franchise history.

Wizkidwonder had the Comment of the Game: Tuch Luck! Jedi13 had the Runner Up: Mother Tucher!

Plus 2: Power Puts One in

It was just a matter of time before Buffalo’s newest offensive minded D-man Owen Power got his first NHL goal. Midway through the third period, the Sabres were hanging on to a one goal lead and the Devils were turning up the pressure.

Thompson fed the puck to Skinner, who fell passing it to Power. Power, not missing a beat, grabbed the pass and got a wrister through Hammond to give Buffalo a 4-2 lead, putting the game out of New Jersey’s reach. Power’s first goal was wonderful to see and fans hope he’ll repeat that feat more than once in the near future.

Plus 3: Anderson Amazing

Veteran Sabres goalie Craig Anderson proved why he’s the team’s starting goaltender and how much he was missed earlier this season. The New Jersey Devils showed strong pressure throughout the game, outshooting the Sabres and repeatedly testing the Sabres’ netminder. Anderson came up big multiple times throughout 60 minutes to keep Buffalo in the lead, making 29 saves and limiting the host team to two goals.

Final Thoughts

The Buffalo Sabres have won three in a row, the second time the team has done that in as many months. With three games remaining, Buffalo has 71 points, still short of a playoff run but nevertheless, a respectable late season effort. If the players can continue to put in effort the way they have recently, the Sabres will finally end their postseason drought in 2022-23.

Buffalo hosts the New York Islanders on Saturday at 12:30 pm, fans’ next to last chance to hear RJ in the broadcast booth.