The Devils' playoff hope took a massive hit as they dropped Friday's game in regulation.
There was one NHL game scheduled for Friday, March 29. It was a game with playoff implications, as the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres continue to play for their lives as the 2023-24 regular season winds down.
In a back-and-forth game, the Devils started strong, scoring the game's first two goals, but Tage Thompson's hat trick ultimately became the storyline of the night.
The Devils scored the game's first goal precisely three minutes after the puck dropped. Max Willman found the back of the net for his second consecutive game after tipping Luke Hughes' shot from the blue line. Chris Tierney earned the secondary assist and extended his point streak to three games.
Jesper Bratt extended his team's lead to 2-0. The goal was the young Swede's 73rd point of the season, matching his career high. His linemates Nico Hischier and Timo Meier were credited with the helpers.
Goaltender Jake Allen made key saves in the final minutes to secure his team's 2-0 lead entering the first intermission. The Devils held an 11-8 shot advantage and blocked five shots in front of Allen.
Once the puck dropped to signal the start of the second period, it took 28 seconds for the Sabres to get on the board. Thompson's wrist shot beat Allen for his 23rd of the season. It was unassisted.
Thompson scored his second of the game with 2:31 remaining in the middle frame. Devils defenseman Kevin Bahl reversed the puck behind his net to his partner John Marino. Alex Tuch beat Marino to the puck and passed it to Thompson, who scored his 24th goal in the 2023-24 campaign.
After 40 minutes, the game was tied 2-2. The ice tilted in the Sabres' favor in the middle frame as they outshot the Devils 11-9, including the last five shots of the period.
Buffalo picked up where they left off and were credited with the first five shots of the third period.
With 4:34 remaining in regulation, Thompson completed his sixth career hat trick. The 6-foot-6 forward was left alone in front of Allen. Tuch earned his second assist of the night, while Rasmus Dahlin earned his 36th helper of the season.
With 1:43 remaining in the final frame, interim head coach Travis Green pulled Allen for the extra attacker. The Devils sustained time in the offensive zone, but with 36 seconds remaining, the Sabres hit the empty net twice and secured a 5-2 victory over the Devils.
Allen finished the game making 31 saves on 34 shots for a .912 save percentage.
UP NEXT: The Devils will host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, April 2.
LINES:
Timo Meier - Nico Hischier - Jesper Bratt
Jack Hughes - Erik Haula - Alexander Holtz
Ondrej Palat - Tomas Nosek - Dawson Mercer
Max Willman - Chris Tierney -Curtis Lazar
Kevin Bahl - John Marino
Luke Hughes - Nick DeSimone
Brendan Smith - Simon Nemec
Jake Allen
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