Devils Can't Overcome Early Deficit in 5-4 Loss to Sabres | GAME STORY

BUFFALO, NY - The Devils fell behind early, 3-1 to the Buffalo Sabres and mounted a late comeback but came up short in a 5-4 loss on Friday night.
Jack Hughes had two goals to lead the way for New Jersey while Alex Tuch potted two for the Sabres.

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The Devils return home to face the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. The game can be seen on MSGSN and heard on the Devils Hockey Network, including right here at NewJerseyDevils.com. Puck drop is 7:08 p.m. ET.
"Not what we wanted to do. We knew they were a good rush team and we gave them chances and they made us pay. It was the opposite from our game plan," said Devils captain Nico Hischier.
The loss meant the Devils did not clinch a playoff spot as they needed two points in order to do so. Hischier said that part of it was inconsequential.
"At the end, it doesn't matter. We lost the game. Wasn't a good game."
Jonas Siegenthaler agreed with his captain.
"We weren't quite on the same page as everybody. We were sloppy. Started sloppy, got scored on right away."
The Devils defenseman did add that maybe the team was thinking too much about the missed opportunity to clinch.
"It's a big deal. Not something you do every day. Maybe it was stuck in our head. We need to forget today and focus on tomorrow and clinch tomorrow."
Buffalo scored the game's first goal six-and-a-half minutes in. Dylan Cozens got in behind the Devils defense and deked out Akira Schmid.
Thirty-eight seconds later, Tage Thompson had a breakaway and roofed the puck at close range to double the Sabres' lead to 2-0.
Devils got one of the goals back two minutes later. Michael McLeod centered the puck to Yegor Sharangovich who redirected the puck in at the top of the crease.
Sabres regained the lead with 9:05 to go in the first. Jack Quinn got in behind the Devils defense and after taking a nice cross-ice feed from Rasmus Dahlin, roofed the puck high glove side for the 3-1 Sabres lead.
Devils head coach Lindy Ruff felt all three goals against them had a similar feel.
"You've got to play your game and be confident that your game has gotten you to this point," said Ruff. "When you give the other team space, they make plays. If you look at all three goals at the start of the game, we either turned the puck over or we didn't gap up tight enough and gave them enough room to make plays."
After the goal, Vitek Vanecek came in to replace Schmid in net. Ruff said that change was not on the goaltender.
"Our goaltenders have been big for us and made big saves. They went through a lot of people before they got to our goaltender."
Hischier was knocked down by Dahlin in the corner which resulted in a lot of pushing and shoving between most every player on the ice. Ironically, the only penalty called was on Hischier himself: for roughing.
New Jersey scored with 1:14 to go in the opening frame to once again come within a goal. Kevin Bahl's shot from the point was deflected off Alex Tuch in front of the net past Sabres netminder Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
After one period, shots on goal were 13-12 in favor of the Devils.
Tuch whipped a wrist shot from above the hashmarks five minutes into the middle frame past Vanecek to put the Sabres up 4-2.
Henri Jokiharju was called for cross-checking to give the Devils power play its first chance. Sabres killed it off but that was followed immediately after by another cross-checking penalty, this time to Dahlin.
Devils then took and killed off a couple of penalties before the Sabres struck again to take a three-goal lead. Rasmus Dahlin blasted the puck from the point right on the stick of Tuch who redirected it in.
Less than a minute later, Jack Hughes backhanded the puck through the five-hole off the rush but the Sabres challenged it for offside successfully.
Shots after two periods were 18-17 for the Devils; Even at 5-5 in the second.
Jack Hughes finally got his goal 5:20 into the third. His snap shot from the right circle went over the blocker of Luukkonen and it was 5-3 Sabres.
Devils received a power play midway through the third following an interference call on Cozens. Devils converted 1:09 into the man advantage. A nice three-way passing play ended with the puck on Jack's stick at the bottom of the right face-off circle. His quick wrist shot beat Lukkonen and drew the Devils within one at 5-4 but that was as close as the Devils would get.
Ruff talked about the team's slow start to the game.
"I didn't think we were ready to play at a high enough level. When the team's not ready to play, that falls on my shoulders," he began.
"We've gone through what that coverage is. We weren't mentally sharp, we weren't physically sharp. They skated by and we hung our goalie out to dry. You give them chances on the rush and they'll make you play."
Here are some observations from the game...
- Tage Thompson collided awkwardly with Timo Meier midway through the first. He skated to the bench in pain and shortly after went to the team's dressing room. He returned to the ice early in the second period. - The game was only the sixth loss in regulation on the road this season for the Devils and it was also only Buffalo's 14th win at home. - In search of a spark to get back in the game, the Devils shuffled the lines in the third period. Timo Meier skated with Jesper Boqvist and Erika Haula, Tomas Tatar was reunited with Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer and Ondrej Palat was with Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes. Tatar, Hichier and Mercer were together for much of Mercer's record scoring streak. - While the Devils lead the NHL in multi-goal comeback wins with eight, they haven't come back this season from a three-goal deficit. - Hughes' 84 points ties him with Scott Gomez for ninth in franchise history for points in a single season and his 39th goal ties him with Taylor Hall for 10th. - The officials determined on the Jack Hughes goal that was disallowed that Ondrej Palat was offside following video review. According to Rule 38.9, "The standard for overturning the call in the event of a "GOAL" call on the ice is that the NHL Situation Room, after reviewing any and all available replays and consulting with the On-Ice Official(s), determines that one or more Players on the attacking team preceded the puck into the attacking zone prior to the goal being scored and that, as a result, the play should have been stopped for an "Off-Side" infraction; where this standard is met, the goal will be disallowed."