Plotlines to keep an eye on between Buffalo Sabres and the New Jersey Devils
We’ve got an early showdown between the Buffalo Sabres and the New Jersey Devils to look forward to today.
It is another busy day in the National Hockey League with a buffet of 12 games, and the Buffalo Sabres against the New Jersey Devils will get us started. It is a compelling matchup between two teams in close proximity geography wise, and they are also very close to each other in a stacked and ultra competitive East Division.
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Prior to today’s first game (1:00 p.m. ET), the Sabres are currently fifth in the East with eight points while the Devils are sixth with seven points. Buffalo is 3-3-2 on the year and have showed signs of progress after a rough start to the season, although they did drop a tough loss in Overtime to the New York Rangers on Thursday.
On the other hand, the Devils are 3-3-1 after getting off to a blistering hot start this year, although they have cooled down somewhat as of late having dropped two straight games to the Philadelphia Flyers. So, with today marking the start of back-to-back games between the Sabres and the Devils at KeyBank Center, we are going to take a look at some storylines to keep an eye on during today’s matinee showdown between the Buffalo Sabres and the New Jersey Devils
Plotlines to follow between the New Jersey Devils and the Buffalo Sabres
3. Bouncing Back
Both the Buffalo Sabres and the New Jersey Devils dropped losses on Thursday night, with the Sabres losing 3-2 in Overtime to the New York Rangers thanks to Alexis Lafreniere’s first career NHL goal, while the Devils lost 3-1 to the Philadelphia Flyers after dropping a 5-3 decision to the same opponent on Tuesday.
It is fair to say, then, that both teams will be out to get back to winning ways and there should be plenty of spice featured in today’s contest for a number of reasons. Firstly, this is the first game of a back-to-back which will mean that any snarl that develops today will carry over to tomorrow, while these two teams are neck-and-neck in an ultra-competitive East Division.
The Sabres are one place and one point above the Devils and they are just behind the Pittsburgh Penguins, so a win today and tomorrow could really elevate Buffalo and put them in a superb position as we enter February. However, New Jersey could also climb up the table with a big win today and they will be extra motivated to start a four-game road trip with a W given that they don’t want to drop three straight that would slightly eradicate what was a hugely positive start to the 2020-21 season.