On Friday, the New Jersey Devils (15-7-1) are set to travel to Buffalo to take on the Buffalo Sabres (9-10-4) at KeyBank Center. In this upcoming game both teams are going to need to bring the energy and desperation that’s essential to winning this game.
To start, the Devils are still dealing with a plethora of injuries, including Brett Pesce, Jonathon Kovacevic, Jack Hughes, and Evgenii Dadonov. The Sabres seem to be in the same boat as New Jersey though, as Micheal Kesselring, Jiri Kulich, Justin Danforth, and Josh Norris are on their injured list.
The Devils are coming off a high note, as on Wednesday, they beat the St. Louis Blues 4-3 in overtime, with Simon Nemec being the overtime hero once again. Throughout this game, New Jersey showed resilience in their penalty kills and scoring chances, which led them to win the game. Even though the Devils have shown some strength lately, they shouldn’t let their guard down around the Sabres.
On the other hand, the Sabres weren’t as lucky, as they fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2 on Wednesday. Poor puck management and sloppy defensive control are what plagued the team and brought them to the loss, but a bright light still shone as they had an offensive spark in the third period of the game. Also, the Sabres’ road performance has faltered this season, as they have lost six of their last nine games on the road. Playing at home may be more beneficial for the team this time around.
Heading into this game, the Devils sit on top of the Eastern Conference with 31 points, where they most definitely hope to stay.
Some players that the Devils need to take note of when coming into this game are Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin. To start off, Thompson, who is considered the face of the franchise, has consistently been a dynamic offensive threat. Thompson leads the team in goals and points, and his ability to score on any line makes him a game-changing player. Onto Dahlin who is the heart of Buffalo’s blue line, as while logging significant minutes each game he’s still able to contribute heavily to the defense and make great plays. If New Jersey is unable to keep an eye on these players, they’ll dig themselves into a ditch.
On the other side of the ice, the Sabres will have to worry about some of the Devils’ players as well, two being Simon Nemec and Nico Hischier. Hischier is a major offensive producer who provides leadership in each and every game, having Hischier in the lineup changes the mood and attitude of any player. For Nemec, the 21-year-old defenseman has made a huge impact this season with 2 game-winning goals. Nemec has also tied his number of 5 career goals in 23 games, instead of 74.
To watch this exciting game, head to MSG Network and ESPN at 4 p.m. to tune in and see the outcome of this match.
