Sabres fall behind early in loss to Devils

NEWARK, N.J. – Kyle Okposo summarized the Buffalo Sabres’ back-to-back games as a microcosm of a hurdle they are working to overcome at the quarter mark of the season.

The Sabres came out as the aggressor in the third period against the Penguins on Friday and scored three unanswered goals to claim a comeback victory. Less than 24 hours later, it was the New Jersey Devils who dictated the play in what ended as a 7-2 loss for the Sabres inside Prudential Center.

“It’s been frustrating a little bit to kind of be ping-ponging around and up and down and maybe we win the game, maybe we don’t,” Okposo said. “That’s been the disappointing part of the season for me, is it just seems like we’ve had a bit of a lapse in kind of forgetting that we’re a good team.

“We can come out and we can control a game, we can control pace of play. A game like tonight, we just didn’t, and it’s been too many times that that’s happened this year.”

The Devils built a 4-0 lead during a first period in which they outshot the Sabres 18-3. Alexander Holtz opened the scoring just 1:31 into the game with a one-timer from point-blank range after a pass from down low deflected off the post and onto the blade of his stick.

New Jersey forced turnovers to create its next three goals, scored within a span of 7:16 during the back half of the first period. The first was scored by Tyler Toffoli, who buried a rebound during a delayed penalty against the Sabres. The next two goals both came on odd-man rushes, one scored by Nico Hischier off the rebound of a shot from Ondre Palat and the other scored by Palat himself.

“Self-inflicted wounds right away,” Sabres coach Don Granato said. “… We have a struggling period there and we struggle to keep it simple just the last five minutes and get out of the period 2-0.”

Jeff Skinner scored a power-play goal to put the Sabres on the board early in the second period, but the Devils responded less than a minute later on a second rebound buried by Toffoli. Dawson Mercer extended the New Jersey lead on a deflection during the opening minute of the third period.

Okposo scored on a deflection of his own for Buffalo’s second goal, but New Jersey responded once again within two minutes on a power-play goal from Luke Hughes.

The Devils finished with a 38-12 edge in shots. Eric Comrie made 14 saves on 18 shots during the first period before giving way to Devon Levi, who stopped 17 of 20.

New Jersey entered the night having lost six of its last seven games, including a 2-1 defeat against Columbus on Friday.

“Just a desperate team on the other side tonight,” Okposo said. “I just don’t think we ever matched their desire to win the game. We knew that they have been in a bit of a funk and they wanted to get out of it worse than we wanted this game.”

The loss snapped a three-game point streak for the Sabres, who remain in the thick of a crowded Eastern Conference. They trail Toronto and Detroit – current occupiers of the two wild card spots – by three points.

The ongoing objective is to rediscover the confident, aggressive style they established last season while navigating the pressures of increased internal expectations.

“That’s part of it, for sure,” Okposo said. “There’s a lot of guys in here that haven’t faced that. It’s the NHL, it’s not an easy league, and you have to bring it every night.

“You have to bring a game that is going to be competitive every single night and it’s not an easy thing to do, especially when you have the expectations that you have. It’s part of growing up, it’s part of becoming a mature group, but we’ll get there. I have full confidence in the guys we have in this group and the guys we have on this team.”

Here’s more from the loss in New Jersey.

1. Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson left the game with an upper-body injury during the first period and did not return.

2. The Sabres recalled forwards Jiri Kulich and Isak Rosen from Rochester prior to the game and both players made their NHL debuts. Kulich played on a line with Peyton Krebs and Okposo and skated 14:53. Rosen played alongside Tyson Jost and Victor Olofsson and skated 13:00.

Up next

The road trip continues Monday against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Coverage on MSG/MSG+ begins at 6:30 p.m. with puck drop scheduled for 7.