"We had them on the ropes there even though the score didn't realty show that," Devils left wing Taylor Hall said. "They came in the third period and had a really good push. You can play a team at the top of the standings and they can lay an egg. You can play a team at the bottom and they give you one of the hardest games of the year. We're not in any position to take teams lightly and any point we get is pretty huge."
Eichel tied the game at 3-3 with a one-timer from the left circle off a cross-circle pass from Kyle Okposo.
The Devils appeared to take a 4-3 lead 77 seconds later when Hall beat Lehner on a breakaway. However, the goal was negated by a successful coach's challenge for offside from Sabres coach Phil Housley, who credited video coach Mat Myers for spotting the offside.
"I was thinking he didn't have possession, but when I looked at it again, he was onside until he lifted his skate," Housley said. "A great call by Mat to send it in and to challenge it. It was a big turning point in the game."
Hall said he thought he might have been offside when he was on the breakaway.
"In my head, I was trying to keep my foot down onside as long as possible but I also wanted to get some separation for a breakaway," Hall said. "That's the nature of the game. That's why the rule is there. If we're on the other side of that, you want the right call."
New Jersey took a 3-1 lead in the second on goals from Johansson on the power play at 8:34 and Moore at 14:55.
