{{pageModel.leagueAbbr}} {{pageModel.subtitle}} | Las Vegas Review-Journal
National Hockey League
New Jersey 4, Buffalo 1
When: 6:00 PM ET, Sunday, February 17, 2019
Where: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
Referees: Gord Dwyer, Kyle Rehman
Linesmen: Brian Mach, Tony Sericolo
Attendance: 16514

Miles Wood's second-period goal Sunday night gave the host New Jersey Devils a lead they would never relinquish in a 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres in Newark, N.J.

Jesper Bratt, Kyle Palmieri and Joey Anderson also scored for the Devils, who won back-to-back games for the first time since Jan. 12-14. New Jersey came back from a 4-1 deficit to beat the Minnesota Wild, 5-4, in overtime on Friday.

Goalie Cory Schneider, who snapped a nearly 14-month, regular-season losing streak by earning the victory in relief Friday, recorded the win Sunday by making 34 saves.

Sam Reinhart scored for the Sabres, whose playoff hopes took another hit with their sixth loss in the last nine games (3-5-1). With Pittsburgh's win Sunday, Buffalo is six points out of the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Goalie Carter Hutton recorded 20 saves.

After a scoreless first period, the Devils took the lead for good on a highlight-reel worthy goal by Wood, who began the sequence by controlling the puck for several seconds in the neutral zone.

Wood passed to Travis Zajac and streaked up the ice. Zajac dished to Palmieri, who broke free and hit Wood in stride as he bore in on the crease. The puck ticked off Wood's skate and into the net a moment before he crashed into the net and jarred it off its moorings at the 7:25 mark.

Palmieri helped the Devils double the lead on the power play a little more than six minutes later. The right winger, stationed in the left faceoff circle, passed across the ice to Pratt, who went to one knee and fired a sizzling shot that ricocheted off the post, into the net and back out on to the ice with 6:22 left.

The Sabres cut the gap in half with 56 seconds left in the period following a faceoff win by Jeff Skinner. The puck ended up on the stick of Jack Eichel, who dished to Zach Bogosian, who found Reinhart wide open near the left faceoff circle. With Schneider leaning to his right, Reinhart fired a shot into the wide open corner of the net.

Palmieri iced the game by scoring with 5:51 left before Anderson added an empty-netter with 3:09 remaining.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Buffalo   New Jersey
Sam Reinhart 1 Points Kyle Palmieri 3
Sam Reinhart 1 Goals Kyle Palmieri 1
Zach Bogosian 1 Assists Kyle Palmieri 2
N/A Power Play Goals Jesper Bratt 1
N/A Short Handed Goals Joey Anderson 1
Carter Hutton .870 Save Percentage Cory Schneider .971
Carter Hutton 20 Saves Cory Schneider 34
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Buffalo 35 1 0-3 1-2 4 29
New Jersey 24 4 1-2 3-3 6 20
Upcoming Games
  • New Jersey will play their next game at home against Pittsburgh. The Devils have a W/L % of .391 after a win and .389 after a loss.
  • Buffalo will play their next game on the road against Florida. The Sabres have a W/L % of .448 after a win and .517 after a loss.