Devils get back on track in Buffalo

December 17, 2008   ·   Hasan   ·   Jump to comments

After emotional wins against the Penguins and Rangers last week, the Saturday home loss to the Sabres was largely dismissed as an inevitable letdown game.

Even coming off a shootout loss in Toronto last night, that wasn’t going to be an acceptable excuse today.

In a game the Devils controlled early and late, they beat the Sabres 5-3 at the HSBC center.  Five different Devils scored and in a refreshing change from the last couple seasons, four lines contributed, with the supposed fourth line factoring on two goals in the third period.  Mike Rupp had the least icetime and even he played nine minutes.  Scott Clemmensen rebounded from two (really three) skaky games with a solid performance tonight, and couldn’t be faulted on any of the goals.

Looking to get the bad taste out of his mouth from missing a crucial breakaway last night, Travis Zajac put the Devils on the board just 1:36 into the hockey game, when he put a rebound past Ryan Miller for his eighth goal of the season.  Despite being outshot 17-6 in the first period, Buffalo would tie the game minutes later when a cross-ice pass from Clark MacArthur found Drew Stafford all alone in front, and he put it into the open net with what appeared to be a skate at first, but upon further review it was a legit goal and the game was tied.  Two consecutive penalties by Buffalo midway through the period gave the Devils a five-on-three for over a minute, and Zach Parise converted off a rebound from his own shot just as the first Sabres penalty was winding down for his 18th goal of the season to give the Devils a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

The only goals for each team in the second period came simultaneously.  First, a Bryce Salvador point shot hit off the skate of a Sabre defender and went past Miller for a goal at 10:52, just Salvador’s second of the season.  A mere 18 seconds later, rugged forward Patrick Kaleta scored his second of the season, both against the Devils. 

Kaleta’s goal made it 3-2, where it stayed till early in the third period when in flashbacks to 1995, the fourth line (at least on paper) made its presence felt.  Bobby Holik plastered MacArthur against the boards, paving the way for David Clarkson to go one-on-one with Nathan Paetsch, deke his way past him and beat Miller for a pretty goal at 6:04, Clarkson’s sixth of the year.  Officially it was unassisted, but anyone watching knew that Holik - who looks rejuvanated this season back in Devil red – deserved a big assist on that one.  Just three and a half minutes later, Clarkson danced through the Sabres defense yet again, though Miller stopped him this time the rebound went to Brian Rolston, who scored just his second goal of the season.  Bad shootout attempt or not last night, it looked like Rolston was getting his legs back and that’s a great sign. 

The only downers in the third period came from one guy who wasn’t on the ice (Salvador missed the latter part of the game due to the ever-ambiguous ‘upper-body’ injury), and one guy who was – Colin White, whose ill-advised turnover led to a Paul Gaustad rebound goal just 12 seconds after Rolston had seemingly put the game away.  There would be no messing around tonight though, and the Devils hung on for a big 5-3 victory that gave them three points in the Toronto-Buffalo trip. 

BoNY Three Stars:

1. David Clarkson (goal, assist, +1)
2. Travis Zajac (goal, +1)
3. Brian Rolston (goal, +1)