Devils Prospects Come Up Big Against Buffalo at Prospects Challenge

The New Jersey Devils prospects defeated the Buffalo Sabres prospects 6-3 on Saturday, which included a four goal in five minute outburst.

John Quenneville, Blake Speers, Nathan Bastian, Blake Coleman and Brandon Gignac each had goals, including two from Gignac to lead the Devils over the Sabres at HarborCenter in Buffalo, New York.

According to Kevin Zalaznik of thealbanydevils.com, Speers and Coleman also had assists for a multiple point night and Miles Wood and Kevin Rooney had two assists each, giving them multi point performances.

Evan Cormier started between the pipes and posted a shutout on nine shots. Ken Appleby replaced him in the second, according to Zalaznik, and he made 18 saves. Appleby got the win.

According to Zalaznik, the Devils were down 1-0 and then 2-1 until Speers scored at 17:53 of the second period, followed by Bastian at 19:41 of that frame. In the third, Coleman scored at 2:28 and Gignac scored at 2:48.

Zalaznik reports that all three Buffalo goals came off the stick of Nicholas Baptiste, who had a hat trick. Gignac scored into an empty net to ice the game.

Zalaznik interviewed Albany Devils coach Rick Kowalsky, who has had coaching duties for this mini tournament and he said “I thought all four line contributed and had some good shifts down low and controlled the puck. I thought the defense got better as the game went on defending and moving the puck. That’s what you want to see. Overall I thought it was certainly a solid first game.”

The Devils next (and final) game in the 2016 Prospect Challenge comes tonight at 7 PM against the prospects of the Boston Bruins.

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