Comrie gets first NHL win in almost three years to help Devils top Sabres

BUFFALO -- Eric Comrie made 30 saves for the New Jersey Devils in his first NHL win in almost three years, 5-3 against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Sunday.

It was Comrie's first NHL game since Dec. 15, 2019, with the Detroit Red Wings and his first win since March 20, 2018, when he was with the Winnipeg Jets.
"He was awesome. Made some huge saves for us," New Jersey forward Michael McLeod said. "And he showed up in the big moments. He was great tonight and that was a huge win."
McLeod scored two goals, and Miles Wood had two goals and an assist for the Devils (4-3-2), who had lost three straight (0-2-1), including a 4-3 shootout loss to the Sabres on Saturday.
Rasmus Ristolainen had a goal and an assist, and Jack Eichel and Victor Olofsson each had two assists for Buffalo (4-4-2). Carter Hutton made 32 saves in his first game since Jan. 19.
"They were hounding us persistently all night," Sabres coach Ralph Krueger said. "I don't think we were working smart within the framework we want to work in. Our puck management was really bad tonight. We were playing into their hustle, we were playing into their persistent checking. I wouldn't say we didn't work. I thought the guys worked hard to get us back from down [2-0] and then down 3-2 again with the late, painful goal."
McLeod scored on a breakaway to give the Devils a 1-0 lead 20 seconds into the first period.

"That definitely wasn't what I wanted," Hutton said. "Obviously, I need to make a save there. It's a good move [by McLeod]."
Andreas Johnsson made it 2-0 with 17 seconds left in the first. Hutton made the save on Jesper Bratt's initial shot, but Johnsson lifted the rebound behind him.
Curtis Lazar cut it to 2-1 when he tipped in Ristolainen's point shot at 14:11 of the second period. Rasmus Dahlin tied it 2-2 on the power play with a point shot at 15:23.
Wood gave the Devils a 3-2 lead with one second remaining in the period, scoring on the rebound of his own shot from the bottom of the left circle.
"I've talked to him about being a really good player," Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. "He's got a tool that nobody really has in this league, and it's just lightning speed. And using that tool to the best of his advantage, creating some opportunities. But being good with the puck, being responsible away from the play, he can add a lot to our hockey club."
Ristolainen scored on the power play at 3:53 of the third period to tie it 3-3.

"We didn't play our 'A' game, that's for sure," he said. "We didn't start well and feel like they won more 1-on-1 battles. And the end of third, we were, for sure, the team who looked more tired out there."
McLeod made it 4-3 at 10:40 with his second of the game on a shot from in front.
Wood scored his second into an empty net at 19:52 for the 5-3 final.
"It certainly shows that we have a lot of fight for an extremely young team," Wood said. "I think me and [Johnsson] were the two oldest forwards out there at 25 and 26 years old. So it's an extremely young team, and the fact that we kept on fighting throughout the game and we never got down on ourselves, I think it just shows the type of group that we have. It's a young group, but a fiery group."
NOTES:The Devils became the second team in NHL history to score in the final 20 seconds of all three periods in one game. The Philadelphia Flyers did it in a 9-2 win against the Boston Bruins on Dec. 9, 1978. ... Devils forward Mikhail Maltsev had one shot on goal in 10:20 of ice time in his NHL debut. … Olofsson extended his point streak to six games (two goals, five assists), matching his NHL career high.