Devils Beat Sabres in Overtime for First Win

The New Jersey Devils got their first win of the season, defeating the Buffalo Sabres 1–0 in overtime on Wednesday night at the HSBC Area, Buffalo.

Devils head coach John MacLean spoke after the game, "It's always good to get the first one [win] out of the way. The guys skated really hard, we had some great opportunities and it’s a nice win."

After three scoreless periods, Devils star winger Ilya Kovalchuk won the game for New Jersey at 0:53 in overtime. Assisting Kovalchuk on the play was rookie defenseman Matt Taormina who set him up after taking the puck down the right side and into the Sabres zone.

Taormina, a promising young prospect for New Jersey, shielded the puck and found Kovy who ripped the winning shot past Miller top shelf on his left side.

Devils goalie Martin Brodeur praised Taormina, saying, "He's really mobile and that's going to help him a lot. Just the fact that he's able to move quick with the puck, makes him a big asset for a hockey club. We're pretty excited about the way he's handled himself so far."

The majority of this game was highlighted by crisp goaltending from Brodeur and the Sabres Vezina Trophy winner Ryan Miller as both teams were denied offensively.

Brodeur gave kudos to Miller, "He's definitely a great goalie. If it wasn’t for him I think the game would have been over a lot earlier."

The Devils defense also played well. Brodeur was forced to play on his toes in the second period as Buffalo started to play more aggressively and mustered 15 shots on goal. But the defense stiffened up as the game went on.

Despite the lack of scoring, the Devils did show some cohesiveness and good puck movement throughout all three periods—a welcomed sign after their three previous outings.

Kovalchuk commented on the team's first win, "It was a total team effort. We just have to build on this win. We played really hard tonight. It's a great effort for everybody."

Center of Attention

After playing short-handed without defenseman Anton Volchenkov (broken nose) and forward Brian Rolston (groin), the Devils sought help by signing former Sabres center Adam Mair earlier this week. For Mair, 31, last night’s game was the first time he faced his former team. Mair had two shots on goal.

Playing seven seasons in Buffalo, Mair will serve as a utility type of player for the Devils and adds grit to the team.

Coach MacLean commented on Mair, "He's versatile and with what we have right now, a guy like him is good because of his versatility. He can play center, he can play right wing, he can play left wing. He kills penalties. We need that right now."