Five-Goal Second Period Carries the Sabres Past New Jersey

Playing their third straight game without their best player and captain, Jack Eichel, the Buffalo Sabres put together a five-goal second period in a 5-1 rout of the New Jersey Devils Tuesday night at KeyBank Center.  Five different players scored for Buffalo, including two who scored their first NHL goals.

The Devils opened the scoring in the first period on their first shot on goal when the puck deflected off a skate and past goaltender Carter Hutton.  The Sabres played well in the first period outshooting the Devils 11 to 5.  But those shots started going in during the second period.

The Sabres' leading goal scorer Jeff Skinner got things going a minute-39 into the middle period with a laser shot for his 29th goal of the season.  C.J. Smith scored his first NHL goal two and a half minutes later for what turned out to be the winning goal.

It was all Buffalo after that with Casey Mittelstadt, Jake McCabe shorthanded and Lawrence Pilut finding the net.  The goal by Pilut was also his first NHL goal.

So finally for at least this game the Sabres got some secondary scoring from players other than Eichel and Skinner.  After giving up a goal on the Devils' first shot, Carter Hutton stopped every one of the next 20 shots he faced.

The Sabres play at Carolina on Friday.