Devils Claim NHL’s First Win Behind Dominant Goaltending

The New Jersey Devils rode a dominating performance in net to secure a victory in the NHL's regular season kick off.

Feb 23, 2021; Newark, New Jersey, USA; New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier (13) skates with the puck toward Buffalo Sabres goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) during the second period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres kicked of the 2024-2025 NHL season with an intense matchup in Prague, Czechia. The NHL's Global Series featured two of the league's hungriest teams, with each having plenty to prove this year. After an exciting game, the Devils secured the first victory of the season by a score of 4-1.

The Devils wasted no time showing what their formula for victory will be this year. Rolling with four lines of fast skaters, the team quickly leaned on their dogged forechecking to control the pace of the game. The Sabres struggled to break out of their own zone throughout the contest, and the Devils forced multiple turnovers.

Turnovers led to both of the Devils' goals in the first period, as two of the team's newest players recorded goals. Stefan Noesen recorded the first goal of the NHL regular season after beating Sabres' goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Devils' defender Jonathan Kovacevic recorded his first of the year later in the period as well. A tally in the second period by team captain Nico Hischier gave the Devils a 3-0 lead with nearly half the game remaining.

Two goals was all that Devils' goaltender Jacob Markstrom needed to carry the team to victory. The New Jersey goalie was brilliant in net and the story of the game during his team debut. In addition to shutting the Sabres down with ease, Markstrom also pulled off a save of the year candidate early in the game.

The Sabres meanwhile had trouble creating any dangerous scoring chances through the first two periods of play. It took until halfway through the third period for blue liner Owen Power to record the team's first goal of the season. They pushed back over the final 10 minutes of the game, but it was a bit too late in the game to mount a comeback.

The Devils and Sabres will both have to shake off the game quickly. The two teams meet again for a matinee showdown the following afternoon to round out their Global Series in Prague, Czechia.

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