GAME STORY: Devils 3, Sabres 2

NEWARK, NJ – Miles Wood scored early in the third period to spur the Devils to a 3-2 come-from-behind win over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night, putting an end to an 11-game winless skid at home. 

Sami Vatanen and Yegor Sharangovich scored the other goals for New Jersey. 

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“That was a good win for us,” said Miles Wood. “The last time we won at home was late January so it was nice to get a win here at home. We’ve gotten three out of four points in our last two games at home and now it’s time to take the next step and build on our nice play of late.”

The Sabres tried to tie the game late with a furious effort but Blackwood came up with some big stops to keep the Devils in front 3-2. 

“We were a tired group, so we couldn’t change,” said Devils head coach Lindy Ruff. “I would have liked to see us more aggressive but could see why we couldn’t be. Blackie made some big saves and we didn’t let anybody around the back side. We want to build off the way Blackie played tonight and keep moving forward.”

Buffalo also carried the play early in the game, outshooting the Devils 6-1. The first power play came when Cody Eakin was called for hooking but Devils were unable to convert. 

Several minutes after the man advantage expired, the Devils did score, however. Yegor Sharangovich took a feed in the high slot from Damon Severson and fired it five-hole on Sabres starting goaltender Jonas Johansson to put the Devils on the board first.

Dmitry Kulikov took a holding penalty on Curtis Lazar on the next shift, giving the Sabres power play a chance to tie it but they could not score.

Shots on goal were 12-5 for the Sabres after one. 

Sami Vatanen was called for interference four minutes into the second, sending the Sabres back to the man advantage. 

20 seconds after that penalty expired, Sabres knotted the game up at 1-1 after Tobias Rieder picked up a bouncing puck at the right circle and beat Blackwood on the glove side.

Almost a minute later, Jeff Skinner deked Blackwood after taking a pass on the rush from Casey Middlestadt to give the Sabres the lead, 2-1. 

Just past the period’s midway point, Sami Vatanen wristed a puck on end from the high slot blocker side past Johansson to make it 2-2.

“I haven’t scored that many. I think it’s been over a year since my last goal,” chuckled Vatanen. “It feels good.”

Shots on goal were even at 12-12 in period two; 24-17 Sabres after 40 minutes.

Colin Miller two-hand slashed Pavel Zacha who had to be helped off the ice as a result. Miller received a two-minute penalty for slashing. The officials reviewed it to see if it should be a major but it was determined after review that it wasn’t.

Devils did get their revenge 75 seconds into the man advantage, however. Jesper Bratt wristed a shot from the point that Wood redirected in front to put the Devils in front with a power play goal.

“On the goal, I thought we were trying to simplify things more, get shots on the net,” Wood added. “Jesper Bratt came over the top and I got a piece of it.”