Sam Reinhart, Linus Ullmark and the Buffalo Sabres improved to a 5-7-2 record as they hang on to a 3-2 victory against the New Jersey Devils who fell to 6-4-2. This would be Buffalo’s first win at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ this season.
| Per. | Time | EV | Goal | Assist | Assist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5:26 |  Colin Miller (2) | Taylor Hall (9) | Eric Staal (3) | |
| 2 | 8:07 | Sam Reinhart (4) | Matt Irwin (2) | Brandon Montour (3) | |
| 2 | 17:46 | PPG | Sam Reinhart (5) | Jack Eichel (11) | Rasmus Dahlin (4) |
| 3 | 0:40 |  Kyle Palmieri (3) | Jack Hughes (7) | Will Butcher (2) | |
| 3 | 16:44 | PPG | P.K. Subban (1) | Pavel Zacha (3) | Jesper Bratt (4) |
The Sabres got off to a good start as Colin Miller scored an even-strength goal from a point shot just over 5 minutes into the game. With plenty of traffic in front of the net, goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood never had a clean look at the shot. The Sabres would go on to hold the lead for the remainder of the game.
Krueger: "There just a real tone of joy after the 1-0 goal, guys were like, wow, it really relaxed the group, it made them play the game they way we wanted to play…the first two periods showed the kind of game we wanted to play…" #Sabres
— Brian Koziol (@BrianWGR) February 20, 2021
The pressure from the Sabres continued into the 2nd period as Sam Reinhart collected a pair of goals, both on deflections and one on the power play off a beautiful pass from Jack Eichel.
Jack and Sam tag-teaming it for the power-play goal 👊#LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/4o7kS2zvyv
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) February 20, 2021
Going into the 3rd period, things were looking good for Buffalo while sitting on a 3-0 lead. However, Lindy Ruff’s Devils weren’t giving up yet as Kyle Palmieri scored within the first minute of the closing frame. P.K. Subban would score with just over 3 minutes remaining in the game while on the power play and with the goalie pulled. That would be the final tally of the game.
In unfortunate injury news, Jake McCabe went down in the 3rd period after a hit in the corner that saw Jake’s leg bend the wrong way.
Krueger says McCabe has a lower-body injury and "I am very concerned" #Sabres
— Brian Koziol (@BrianWGR) February 20, 2021
Linus Ullmark had a very solid game as he saved 25 of 27 shots on net while the rest of the team provided 18 blocked shots.
Buffalo’s next game is on Monday at 7:00 pm as the Sabres visit the New York Islanders (8-5-3).