• Thompson scored his 11th and 12th goals of the season for Buffalo. The 24-year-old leads the Sabres in goals and is tied with former Islander Kyle Okposo and defenseman Rasmus Dahlin for the scoring lead with 20 points (12G, 18A). Thompson is the son of Bridgeport Islanders Head Coach Brent Thompson.
• Ethan Prow scored in his NHL debut after being recalled from Buffalo's taxi squad ahead of the game. Prow logged 15:59 of time on ice.
• Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made his sixth start of the season, while his record dropped to 2-3-1. The Finnish netminder has a 1.96 GAA and a .939 SV%.
• Earlier this season, Buffalo acquired Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for the team's former captain Jack Eichel. The Sabres also picked up future first and second-round draft picks from Vegas. Against New Jersey, the Sabres activated Tuch off IR - where he was placed as a result of undergoing shoulder surgery in the offseason - and Krebs made his Sabres debut. In his Sabres' debut, Tuch recorded an assist on Thompson's first goal and totaled 18:27 TOI. Krebs, Vegas' first-round pick in 2019, played 17:03 minutes and threw one hit.
• The Sabres' power play was 0-for-1 against the Devils while their penalty kill was 1-for-2. In the NHL, Buffalo's power play ranks 18th overall at 18.4% while its penalty kill sits in 16th at 80.0%.
• Dahlin dished out two assists in the loss to New Jersey. Through 31 games this season, the Swedish blueliner has posted 20 points 6G, 14A) which is tied with Okposo and Thompson for the scoring lead.
• Defenseman Collin Miller did not play against New Jersey due to injury.
• Against the Devils, Buffalo was without five forwards Dylan Cozens, Jeff Skinner, Zemgus Girgensons, Vinnie Hinostroza and Mark Jankowski, defenseman Jacob Bryson, and head coach Don Granato because they were placed in the NHL's COVID-19 protocol. Assistant coach Matt Ellis served as the interim coach.
• JJ Peterka and Casey Fitzgerald also made their NHL debuts against the Devils.
• On Dec. 2, the Sabres acquired goaltender Malcolm Subban from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for future considerations.
• In the offseason, Buffalo acquired defensemen Robert Hagg, Will Butcher, Jimmy Schuldt, forwards Vinnie Hinostroza, Ryan MacInnis and goaltenders Craig Anderson, and Aaron Dell. Haag did not play against New Jersey due to a lower-body injury.