New Jersey falls to a 0-2-0 record in Buffalo.
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The New Jersey Devils played their second game of the 2023 Prospects Challenge on Saturday night. The club fell to the Buffalo Sabres by a final score of 4-2, with TJ Friedman and Brian Halonen scoring their first goals of the tournament for the Devils. Below is a rundown of all the action from Buffalo.
New Jersey's Lineup
Josh Filmon - Xavier Parent - Graeme Clarke
Brian Halonen - Chase Stillman - Cam Squires
Cole Brown - Filip Engaras - Jace Isley
Erik Middendorf - TJ Friedman - Timur Ibragimov
Santeri Hatakka - Simon Nemec
Daniil Misyul - Topias Vilen
Will MacKinnon - Colin Felix
Isaac Poulter
Riley Mercer
Story of the Game: Devils Outplayed by the Sabres
As Sam Kasan and Matt Loughlin pointed out during the broadcast, the Sabres had five first-round picks and a second-round pick in their lineup. New Jersey had opportunities to come back after the Sabres established an early two-goal lead but could not capitalize.
Quick Hits & Observations
- Per Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News, Sabres defenseman Riley Stillman was in attendance to watch his brother and Devils' prospect Chase.
- Speaking of Stillman, fans are still waiting for the 29th overall pick to have his breakthrough moment. The natural winger moved to center against the Sabres but remained invisible at times on the ice.
- One player who stood out was MacKinnon, son of Devils assistant general manager Dan MacKinnon. The 23-year-old played well defensively, contributed offensively even though he didn't make it on the scoresheet, and fought Dominick Mersch as time expired. He was arguably the best player on the ice for New Jersey.
- Jace Isley earned his first point of the tournament, assisting on Friedman's second-period goal.
- Simon Nemec continues his impressive play, but that should not be a surprise. The real test for the 19-year-old will come next week when he is skating alongside NHL regulars.
Next One Up
The Devils will play their final game of the Challenge on Monday, Sept. 18, when they face the Boston Bruins prospects at 10:00 A.M. at LECOM Harborcenter. The game will be streamed on the team's official website and social media channels.