Erik Haula’s second goal of the game broke a tie late in the third period to help the New Jersey Devils to a 5-4 win over the Buffalo Sabres in a back-and-forth affair on Friday in Newark, N.J.
Haula put New Jersey in front for good at the 14:17 mark of the third, deflecting a shot in front past Buffalo goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s left arm.
Luke Hughes had two assists, and Vitek Vanecek made 23 saves for the Devils.
Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin scored to extend his point streak to a career-high seven games. Eric Comrie saved 16 of 18 shots for the Sabres before leaving the game at 10:13 of the second period with a lower-body injury. Luukkonen stopped 18 of 21 in relief.
JJ Peterka gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead at 6:11 of the first period. Luke Hughes fell at center ice, opening the right side for Peterka to skate in and fire it from the right circle.
The Devils’ Alexander Holtz tied it 1-1 a minute and a half later, cleaning up a rebound in front.
Buffalo’s Tage Thompson took a pass from Alex Tuch in the slot and carried it to the left of the net as Vanecek stretched for a save. The Sabres forward took the puck on his backhand and slid it behind Vanecek for a 2-1 lead at 15:42.
Buffalo defenseman Connor Clifton was assessed a match penalty at 16:00 of the first after a hit on New Jersey captain Nico Hischier along the wall in the neutral zone. Devils forward Ondrej Palat went after Clifton and was assessed an instigator penalty, on top of a fighting major and 10-minute misconduct, putting the two sides at four-on-four.
Jesper Bratt tied it 2-2 at 16:11 when he stole the puck from Mattias Samuelsson at the Sabres’ blue line and broke in on the right side before beating Comrie five-hole.
Haula put the Devils in front 3-2 at 13:47 of the second period, intercepting a pass at the blue line for a short-handed breakaway.
Dahlin’s blast from the right point tied it 3-3 at 17:32 of the second.
Hischier returned to the ice at 2:39 of the second period and played seven shifts through the end of the frame but did not return for the third period.
Jack Hughes made it 4-3 Devils at 2:09 of the third with a power-play tally, his fifth goal of the season.
Dylan Cozens snuck it over Vanecek’s left shoulder from below the right circle to tie it 4-4 at 12:35.
–Field Level Media
