Sabres new division opponent breakdown: New Jersey Devils
The new division alignment is official and the Sabres will play multiple teams they do not play very often. How do the Sabres matchup with the New Jersey Devils, a new divisional opponent?
The NHL has officially announced their divisions for the 2021 season, and there has been plenty of changes compared to the divisions we normally see. One of the new divisional opponents that the Buffalo Sabres will see this season is the New Jersey Devils.
Buffalo played New Jersey twice last season. The Sabres scored seven goals in each game. They won the first matchup 7-2 and the second game 7-1.
New Jersey finished the 2019-2020 season at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division. They had a 0.493 winning percentage, finishing only above the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference. It doesn’t seem like there is much reason to believe they will be any better this season either.
The Devils averaged 2.68 goals per game through the 2019-2020 season, which put them in a tie for 24th best in the league with Ottawa. The Sabres did not fare much better in goals per game last season, only averaging 2.80. But Buffalo did find success against the Devils in both matchups, scoring 14 goals over two games.
New Jersey did not look much better on defense either. They had 3.25 goals allowed per game last season. The only teams that gave up more goals per game were the Red Wings and Senators. To compare stats, Buffalo allowed 3.12 goals per game last season.
One of the few bright spots for the Devils last season was young goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood. At 23-years-old, he showed a lot of promise last season. He played in 44 games, posting a .915 save percentage and allowed 2.77 goals per game. These stats aren’t elite level, but Blackwood is very young and has a lot of time to develop.
Next. What to expect from Rasmus Dahlin in 2021. dark
The Sabres need to take advantage of playing New Jersey more times than they normally do this season. They do not look like they are going to be a contending team, and I am sure Taylor Hall is looking forward to a handful of revenge games against one of his old teams.