Sabres lose Comrie to injury, Clifton to match penalty in loss to Devils
The Buffalo Sabres once again played the fast and loose style that was their trademark last season but encountered the same defensive issues that caused their downfall, as Erik Haula’s second goal of the game on a deflection with 5:43 left gave the New Jersey Devils a 5-4 victory in Newark, NJ on Friday. The contest was a wide-open offensive affair that saw Buffalo score four times at five-on-five, while the Devils scored twice on special teams; once on the power play and once short-handed.
J-J Peterka, Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, and Dylan Cozens scored for Buffalo, but the Sabres allowed 39 shots on goalies Eric Comrie and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Haula, Alexander Holtz, Jesper Bratt, and Jack Hughes scored for New Jersey, and Vitek Vanecek made 23 saves for his ninth career victory over the Sabres in just 12 starts.
Here are three takeaways from Buffalo’s 5-4 loss to New Jersey:
Them’s The Breakaways
In a one-goal game that saw numerous lead changes, the difference can come down to one or two plays. On Friday, it came down to the Sabres' inability to convert on a pair of breakaways and the Devils cashing in on their chances. Buffalo’s Alex Tuch and Zemgus Girgensons each struck out on clear breaks on Vanecek, while Bratt beat Comrie between the legs to tie the game late in the first, and. Haula gave the Devils a 3-2 lead midway through the second on a short-handed breakaway.
Down To One
The Sabres entered the game with starter Devon Levi still recovering from a lower-body injury, but having received quality starts from Comrie and Luukkonen in victories over the NY Islanders and Ottawa. Comrie got his third start on Friday and had an excellent opening 20 minutes, but early in the second period the Sabres goalie kicked out awkwardly on a Kevin Bahl point shot and could not get back up on his skates.
Head coach Don Granato could not provide any details on the severity of the injury after the game and said that more information would be available when the Sabres practice on Saturday. Comrie missed two months last season with a knee injury.
Clifton Could Face Suspension
Sabres defenseman Connor Clifton was accessed a match penalty for a head hit on Devils captain Nico Hischier late in the first period. Clifton was immediately confronted by New Jersey’s Ondrej Palat, who was accessed minor and misconduct for instigating. The incident seemed to change the momentum of the game, as Bratt’s breakaway goal tied the game just 11 seconds afterward.
Buffalo played with five defensemen the rest of the game, with Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson, Owen Power, and Henri Jokiharju all playing in excess of 20 minutes. With the match penalty, Clifton will receive an automatic review from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety for a possible suspension.
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