Here are some observations from the game:
• The Devils had some looks early in the game. A bad turnover by the Sabres gave Paul Cotter a look from the high slot, but his shot was blocked. Minutes later Timo Meier had a breakaway that was stopped by Luukkonen with a split pad save. New Jersey couldn’t convert and the Sabres responded with three goals in the first period, including two in the final four minutes, to take full control of the game. Buffalo never looked back.
The Devils trio of Ondrej Palat, Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt were on the ice for all three goals against in that opening period. Bratt took ownership for their work.
"I take responsibility for my own performance in the first and our line," Bratt said. "It wasn’t really detailed. Small bounces and small decision where we weren’t detailed enough. We didn’t give the rest of the team a chance to come in with a better situation in the second. We just weren’t ready, myself included."
• Cotter got the Devils on the board early in the second period with some good old fashioned hard work. Dougie Hamilton, following his own shot, collected the puck behind the Sabres net. Hamilton threw the puck into the crease where Cotter batted it to the goal line from his knees while being cross checked. The referees initially called it no goal, but did do a video review at the next break. Following the review, the puck crossed the line by less than an inch. The call was reversed, and the Devils awarded a goal. It’s a game of centimeters.
“I was hoping (it was in),” Cotter said. “I was screaming at the ref that it was in. I had no idea if it was or not. Luckily the way it was rolling it decided it looked like it was in, so I’ll take it.”
• Cotter’s second goal was a thing of beauty. The Devils headed up ice for a 3-on-2. Cotter carried the puck along the left side and was angled well by the defender. Cotter was forced wide and to the goal line. But from that impossible angle he went top shelf over the shoulder of Luukkonen for the tally.
• Stefan Noesen was given a five-minute major and game misconduct in the third period for a check to the head of Tage Thompson. It happened as both were going for a puck inside the blue line. Thompson had his head down and Noesen caught him. Thompson lay on the ice for some time and then left the game and did not return.
• Not only did the Devils kill off the five-minute major, but scored a shorthanded goal by Jack Hughes. Jesper Bratt sprung him in on goal all alone. Hughes deked and slid the puck five-hole for the score to make it a 4-3 game.
• The Devils had some life after the Cotter goal. Jack Hughes was flying. He hit a post on one shot and nearly sneaked in a puck short side with a sneaky backhander. Meier was also robbed (again) by a stretched arm save. But again, New Jersey just couldn’t find a way to convert. And when Zucker scored with 2:35 left in the second period, it zapped the Devils’ life. New Jersey made a good push in the third period but couldn't find the equalizer.
• Jake Allen was pulled after two periods. He allowed four goals on 27 shots. Nico Daws saw his first NHL action of the season. He stopped all seven shots against.
“He tightened up a little bit,” Keefe said. “Was fine to continue but down 4-1 and the type of workload that he had, that was all I needed to hear to get him out and give Nico (Daws) a chance.”
• The Devils celebrated two milestones in the game. Forward Ondrej Palat played in his 800th career NHL game, while Dawson Mercer appeared in his 300th career contest. For Mercer, that’s 300 straight games played to start his career.
