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Victory In Buffalo, Tough Road Ahead For Devils

December 30, 2021, 10:16 AM ET [42 Comments]
Sam Woo
New Jersey Devils Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The piano is finally off the New Jersey Devils back. The Devils claimed they were going to hit the reset button on the season. They looked like a rejuvenated hockey club and beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 in regulation in Buffalo. This is the Devils first road victory since November 20th against the Tampa Bay Lightning and second victory in the month of December. It also stops a six game losing streak.

What went right last night?

“You need your best players to make a difference and Jack made a real difference for us,” said Devils coach Lindy Ruff.

Jack Hughes looked dominant last night and reminded us how he looked during the first four periods of the season before getting a dislocated shoulder injury. Jesper Bratt also continues to impress by scoring a goal and two assists and been the most consistent player on the Devils this season. He is now tied with Andreas Johnsson for the team lead with 9 goals and leads the team with 27 points.

The Devils coaching simplified the team’s approach. They responded by peppering Buffalo with many quick “no-hesitation” shots on goal. The Devils outshot the Sabres 42-22 and kept the pressure on throughout most of the game. In essence, they were not overthinking the game and got back to basics.

On special teams, the Devils were 1 for 2 on the power play and shut down the Sabres on their lone power play chance of the night. I liked how the Devils put Nathan Bastian upfront on the power play and use his size and strength to screen Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

Don’t get too optimistic Devils fans. The Devils have a long road ahead before you can start celebrating. This victory is nice and a good start. The Edmonton Oilers come to New Jersey tomorrow afternoon. It will be a big test for the Devils in the next ten days as they play the Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Message To Devils Social Media Staff

The Devils only beat Buffalo. Settle down.





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Sam Woo is co-host and executive producer of the Let's Go Devils Podcast which can be heard live every Sunday at 9pm ET and Wednesday at 8:30pm ET.

You can follow Sam on Twitter: @PrimetimeSamWoo
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