Coming off of their 5-3 win over New Jersey on Tuesday, the Buffalo Sabres returned home to face the Devils for the eighth and final time this season. Heading into this game on a five-game point streak in which they had a 3-0-2 record, as well as four of the Sabres wins this season have come against the Devils, the most against any team.
Heading into this matchup, they looked to continue their success against them in this game. However, the Devils responded with strong play in a 6-3 win over the Sabres as the season series ended with Buffalo and New Jersey splitting victories.
The game’s opening minutes saw momentum shift for both teams, as Victor Olofsson scored just 53 seconds into the game that gave Buffalo an early lead. However, their lead would not last long as the Devils scored three unanswered goals in the first, which included back-to-back power-play goals scored by Pavel Zacha 1:41 apart.
Although they faced a two-goal deficit heading into the second period, the Sabres channeled their recent string of good play, as a power-play goal courtesy of Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner’s late-period goal helped even the game at three after forty minutes of play, along with shots on goal nearly even, as New Jersey held a two-shot advantage (27-25).
However, that changed in the third as the Sabres’ offensive inconsistencies persisted, with only two shots on goal in the period after reaching double digits in the first two periods, as the Devils outshot Buffalo, 38-27 and scored three more goals.
After getting the win on Tuesday, Linus Ullmark once again received the start in net, and although he made 33 saves in tonight’s game, he also allowed five goals in the losing effort. Special teams also played a huge factor in tonight’s result for both teams, and despite Thompson getting Buffalo’s power play on the board, the Sabres’ penalty kill struggled early, finishing 2-of-4. Their inconsistencies continued in both special team units, along with other areas of their game.
The Sabres will have a quick turnaround as they host the Washington Capitals Friday night at KeyBank Center, set for a 7 p.m. puck drop. Although they have consistently struggled against the Capitals, posting a 1-4-1 record this season, this is their first matchup since Don Granato became interim head coach, and their recent play under his watch could see a difference in result for Buffalo.