Below are some more observations from the game...
* The Devils may have lost the game, but it’s not due to lack of effort. The Sabres squad was just more talented. Buffalo had five first-round picks and a second-round pick all playing in the contest, two of which may end up playing in the NHL at the start of the season. Three of Buffalo’s four goals were scored by first-round picks. That isn’t a knock on the Devils. Their top talent was drafted, developed and now playing in the NHL for a team with championship aspirations. New Jersey fought to the bitter end, but didn’t have enough to overcome.
* The Devils best chance to make some noise in this contest came late in the third period when they had a 4-on-3 and over a minute worth of a 5-on-3. The only registered one shot in that span, though they did miss the net and had two blocked. Once time ran out on those man-advantage chances, it ran out on the Devils.
* One player that really stood out in the contest was defenseman Will MacKinnon, son of Devils assistant general manager Dan MacKinnon. The younger MacKinnon made two great defensive plays to deflect a high-quality shot and on a back check to deny an odd-man rush. He threw a big hit on Filip Cederqvist. His shot from the point resulted in New Jersey’s first goal from a rebound. And at the end of the game, he dropped the gloves and fought Dominick Mersch after the latter threw a questionable late check into his defense partner Colin Felix in the final seconds of regulation. He even encouraged the jeers from the Sabres-friendly crowd as he left the game following the fight by waving his hands, telling them to get louder.
