Stempniak, Tlusty Goals Pace Devils Past Sabres

The Devils came into Buffalo on the heels of a very bad game in Brooklyn, to say the least. New Jersey gave up four goals and were shutout, as well as blown out of the water in almost every statistical category.

They needed a good game against NHL wunderkind Jack Eichel and the Sabres. They got almost that.

While Buffalo outhit them and beat them in faceoffs, they still got the victory due to two timely goals and good goaltending.

Adam Henrique was back in the lineup, returning from an injury suffered in Toronto. Sitting were Eric Gelinas, Stefan Matteau and Brian O’Neill. Jon Merrill was back on the blueline while rookie Joseph Blandisi was playing in his third NHL game (for Travis Zajac, who could possibly be back as soon as late this week).

In goal for the Devils was Cory Schneider. A game after being pulled in favor of Keith Kinkaid in Brooklyn, Schneider got a rebound start and made the best of it. He was equal to the task of all 25 Buffalo shots, getting the shutout win and being named the game’s first star. It was Cory’s fourteenth win of the season and his first shutout since mid-November against the Penguins. Opposing him was the Swede, Linus Ullmark, who the Devils saw on their last trip to Western New York He made 19 stops on the night.

The first period went by with no major events. There were no goals and only one penalty, Buffalo’s Evander Kane going off for slashing at 18:18, which would give them a few seconds of power play time going into the second and fresh ice. Buffalo, however, would kill that off. It would be New Jersey’s only power play of the night.

The game’s first goal came at 17:27 of the second when Adam Larsson headmanned the puck to Henrique up the wing, he passed to Mike Cammalleri, who fired a slap shot on net and Lee Stempniak tucked in the rebound, his balancing act on the crossbar celebration reminiscent of David Clarkson against the Flyers in the 2012 playoffs.

Stempniak’s goal was fitting coming in Buffalo, as he is from West Seneca, New York, only mere miles from downtown Buffalo.

That was the game winner. The insurance goal came early in the third period, at 4:12 when Kyle Palmieri kept the puck in the Sabres’ zone on a clearing attempt and the loose puck dribbled to Jiri Tlusty, who fired a slap shot that beat Ullmark glove side. It was his first goal since opening night against the Winnipeg Jets, his second of the season.

And that was it. Buffalo pulled their goalie with about two minutes left in the game; Cammalleri and Henrique tried a few attempts at the empty net, but missed, resulting in icing calls. But finally time ran out on the Sabres and the Devils had a big victory coming off the Islanders game.

Next up in a whirlwind December before the Christmas break, the Devils face the Florida Panthers at the Rock again on Thursday. It will be the two team’s second meeting in less than two weeks at the Prudential Center. Will the Devils be able to knock off Jaromir Jagr and his teammates, or will the Cats get revenge for their loss on December 6?

 

Devils Win Fourth Straight in Buffalo

Devils’ coach John Hynes was still looking for his first National Hockey League victory in regulation when his team made the trip down from Ottawa to Buffalo to take on the Sabres and new NHL sensation Jack Eichel. He would finally grab that win, but not without his team fighting for every inch of it.

Out of the lineup for the Devils were Jon Merrill and Tuomo Ruutu. Seeing action would be defenseman Eric Gelinas, who, though he had a rough game in Ottawa (his turnovers led to multiple Senators’ goals), was quickly put back in the lineup by Hynes as a show of confidence in the young blueliner.

Linus Ullmark would be making his first start for the Sabres on Hockey Fights Cancer night at First Niagara Center; opposing Cory Schneider was again big for the Devils. He was equal to 26 of the 29 shots he faced on the night.

Things got off nicely for the Devils until bad penalties again reared their ugly head. Adam Henrique took a slashing call at 8:30 of the first, which would lead to a Tyler Ennis goal 12 seconds into the Buffalo power play. Sergey Kalinin would also take a tripping call in the first, though the Devils were able to kill that off.

Henrique would get back in the good graces of Devils coaches and fans when he scored on a goalmouth scramble with 50 seconds left in the first, tying it late. Mike Cammalleri and Ottawa hero Lee Stempniak would assist on the goal.

In the second, things would start off dicey for New Jersey when Adam Larsson (who was playing in his 200th career game) took a roughing minor against Evander Kane. This put the Devils on the penalty kill early with one of their best PK men in the box. Sure enough, Ryan O’Reilly scored one second after the penalty ended. Though the Devils had successfully killed it off and it was technically an even strength goal, for all intents and purposes it was still a power play goal since Larsson had just stepped back on the ice when it was scored. New Jersey was now playing from behind, 2-1.

Mike Cammalleri would tie it back up at 8:57 of the second when Sergey Kalinin powered towards the Sabres’ net and the puck squirted out to Cammalleri, who quickly buried it. For Kalinin it was the first point of his NHL career. It was Cammalleri’s third goal of the season and his second of three points on the night.

The Devils would again score late in a period, this time with 49 seconds left in the frame when David Schlemko scored his first goal as a Devil off a nice one-touch pass from Cammalleri (his third point on the night). Henrique had the secondary assist. The Devils now led 3-2. They had the lead and they would not relinquish it for the rest of the night.

Midway through the third period, Matt Moulson would spin into a Damon Severson high stick behind the Devils net, putting Buffalo a man up at 8:51. Adam Henrique would again come to the rescue, scoring on a breakaway unassisted, his sixth goal of the year, to make it 4-2 Devils.

A scary moment occurred moments after the shorty, as Schlemko was finishing his check on the Sabres’ Evander Kane, coming in at an awkward angle and pinning Kane’s knee to the boards. Although it was a clean hit and no penalty was called, it was hard for the Sabres and Kane (who has had a history of injuries in his career) although he did leave the game under his own power.

Now without one of their best players, the Sabres would mount a comeback on the Devils. At 17:31 of the third, Brian O’Neill of the Devils took a hooking call and Buffalo’s wunderkind, Eichel made them pay when he fired a wrist shot past Schneider at 19:15. The Sabres had pulled Ullmark to go up two extra men, but that was all they could do. Andy Greene would clear the puck from the zone on a scramble late and Cammalleri would pin it deep in the Sabres end until time ran out.

The Devils have taken 9 out of a possible 10 points in their last five games and have won four straight. Next up for the Devils: they return home to face the Columbus Blue Jackets and their new coach, John Tortorella on Hockey Fights Cancer night at The Rock.