Mike G. Morreale – NHL.com Staff Writer
NEWARK, N.J. — Ryan O’Reilly, Johan Larsson and Jack Eichel scored, and goaltender Chad Johnson made 18 saves for the Buffalo Sabres in a 3-1 win against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on Tuesday.
The win ended a five-game winning streak by the Devils against the Sabres. Buffalo lost twice to New Jersey this season.
Devils left wing Patrik Elias played 14:!5 in his first game in four months. The 39-year-old, who was out since Dec. 19 with a right knee injury, is in the final season of a three-year contract he signed July 4, 2013 and can become an unrestricted free agent July 1. There’s a chance he could be playing his final games with New Jersey.
O’Reilly gave the Sabres a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal at 14:12 of the second period. After a pass from Eichel in the right circle, O’Reilly scored his 21st off a slap shot that beat goalie Corey Schneider to the glove side. Larsson made it 2-0 12 seconds into the third period when he scored an unassisted goal off a wrist shot from the right circle that beat Schneider on the long side.
Devils center Jacob Josefson made it 2-1 on a power-play goal at 14:31. Josefson took a pass from Tyler Kennedy and his slap shot from the right circle beat Johnson on the short side.
The Sabres had to kill a tripping penalty to Larsson with 3:44 remaining. The Devils finished 1-for-6 on the power play.
Eichel scored into an empty net for a 3-1 lead with 47 seconds left. He fought off checks from forward Mike Sislo and defenseman David Schlemko before scoring his Sabres-leading 24th goal.
Buffalo (34-35-11) has two regular season games remaining.
“It would be great to get to at least .500 by the end the season,” O’Reilly said Tuesday morning. “I know it’s not an easy thing, but for us it’s all about winning one game at a time. We don’t want to mail it in or think these games aren’t important because they are. No matter what time in the year it is, we have to find a way to win and work together because there’s never an easy game in this League.”
Johnson is 10-2-1 in the past 14 games. The Sabres are 18-17-5 on the road this season; they were 17-59-6 on the road in two previous seasons.
Schneider made 15 saves for New Jersey (37-35-8), which has scored seven goals in the past six games (1-4-1).
(Reprinted with permission of the Buffalo Sabres)
