The NHL is back and the first game of the season set us hockey fans up for an exciting season that should be full of intrigue and surprises. The New Jersey Devils took on the Buffalo Sabres in the first game of the Global Series in Prague. Both teams enter the season with much to prove and the first game may be a big indicator of how the rest of the season might go for these squads.
The Devils enter the season after a disappointing 2023-24 season where they failed to make the playoffs despite a strong previous season. The main issue for the Devils last season was goaltending which they addressed this summer with the Jacob Markstrom trade. Markstrom looked stellar in this game, only allowing one goal while stopping thirty of thirty-one Sabres shots to secure a 4-1 victory for the Devils. Early in the first period, the Devils made a poor play resulting in Sabres forward Nicolas Aubel-Kubel having the puck on his stick mere inches in front of the Devils' empty net. Markstrom, however, stretched across with his stick to make an unbelievable stop which might be an early candidate for best save of the year. Should Markstrom continue to play at such a high level, the Devils will always have a chance to win on any given night. The only criticism of Markstrom’s game is the goal he allowed, but the mistake leading to that goal was mostly a result of the Devils’ defense and Markstrom shouldn't be the only player to blame. Overall, the Devils seem to have their goaltending troubles from last season figured out.
For the Sabres, this result was very disappointing. This team had trouble scoring last season and instead turned into a defensively-minded system now led by former Devils coach Lindy Ruff. For a team like the Sabres who are emerging out of a rebuild, the main goal should be to develop the young stars that they drafted throughout the rebuild. Instead, the organization’s plan seems to be building a defensive system that does not utilize the abilities of their young scorers. Teams that start getting competitive after a rebuild usually start as offensive powerhouses with sub-par defense, which is not ideal but it works. The Sabres are trying to prioritize defense but that is coming at the expense of their goal-scoring. This game proved that their strategy remains the same. The team’s offense looked uncoordinated and sloppy, leaving much to be desired for Sabres fans hoping to see their team improve. The outcome was disappointing, but the eye test leaves Sabres fans with even more concern.
While it is often foolish to draw conclusions based on only one game–after all, teams are still getting accustomed to playing meaningful games–every point in the regular season counts. Eighty-two games seems like a long season, but it goes by quickly so getting into an early slump can be detrimental for a team’s playoff aspirations. Both teams have things they can learn from this contest, but overall the two squads did a great job setting an example for the type of hockey fans will love to see this season.
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