The Devils are seventh in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 9-9-1.
The New Jersey Devils jumped back into the win column Saturday night, earning a 7-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres at Prudential Center. By the final horn, 11 different skaters found their names on the scoresheet, eight earning two-point nights.
The biggest news was the return of 24-year-old captain Nico Hischier, who missed the previous 11 games with an upper-body injury. It provided an energy boost to the 16,514 fans in attendance and his teammates, who did not know he was playing until they arrived at the rink.
Nico Hischier Returns to the Lineup "I'll be honest, I didn't know he was playing until I got to the rink," said Tyler Toffoli with a smile. "Obviously, seeing his name on the board and seeing him in the lineup gave us a little extra boost, and I thought he played amazing too."
The Devils scored four unanswered goals in the opening frame and limited their opponents to only three shots. Buffalo forward Jeff Skinner would score in the opening minutes of the second period on the power play, but Toffoli would regain his team's four-goal lead minutes later with his second of the game.
After 40 minutes, the Devils had five goals, while the Sabres had six shots.
In the third period, New Jersey received goals from Dawson Mercer and Luke Hughes, while Kyle Okposo scored his team's second power-play goal of the night. The Devils are 2-0-0 versus the Sabres this season.
"It almost kind of felt that we've been searching for (a game like tonight) all season long," Toffoli said, "We've got to use this as a stepping stone moving forward, and that's the standard that needs to be played at every single night. Definitely one of the more fun games this season."
Five Things
1. Hischier's Impressive Return
"It took a little longer than I wanted to, but it feels good to be around the boys again, go out and battle, and come out with the win."
In his first game back from injury, Hischier played 14:55. He collected two points (one goal, one assist) and finished with a faceoff win percentage of 64.3, going nine-for-14. He made an impact offensively in addition to making strong defensive plays, the types of plays that the team has missed over the past couple of weeks.
2. Smith Delivers Message
With less than two minutes left in the first period, Brendan Smith and Connor Clifton dropped the gloves. It was a moment the sold-out crowd was anxiously waiting for, as Clifton was the player who hit Hischier and caused the upper-body injury that had him miss a month of play.
What followed was not exactly a fight, but Smith did get the best of his opponent. It sent a necessary message and was met by a standing ovation from the fans, who appreciated the veteran stepping in and defending his captain.
3. Jesper's 300th Career NHL Point
Jesper Bratt earned his 300th career point in his 408th career game. Per the media notes, it marks the eighth fewest game required in franchise history to reach the milestone. The young Swede earned an assist on Hischier's goal and Ondrej Palat's second goal of the season.
4. Six Goals Scored at Even Strength
One of the biggest takeaways from Saturday's game is that the Devils scored six goals at even strength. It was a rare victory where the club was not dependent on their power play for scoring.
It was a positive development because scoring at five-on-five has been an area of concern for the Devils since the season opened on Oct. 12.
5. Haula Did Not Finish the Game
Veteran forward Erik Haula only played 9:30 versus Buffalo. It is unclear what happened to the 32-year-old, and after the game, head coach Lindy Ruff said there was no update and that Haula would be evaluated on Sunday.