Devils Win First Game of the Season in OT

The Devils traveled to Buffalo last night to face the Sabres in a Wednesday night showdown. New Jersey started the game with all intentions to get their first win of the season. This game was a battle of the goalies as the featured were Vezina Trophy winner Ryan Miller and 4-time Vezina Trophy winner Martin Brodeur.

Miller was peppered throughout the entire first period facing fifteen Devil’s shots. The offense for the Sabres wasn’t quite working for them as they only managed to produce one shot on goal. There was however a number of penalties as both team recorded four minutes of minor penalties. Mark Fraser of the Devils and Cody McCormick of the Sabres were penalized with five minute majors for fighting midway through the first. No goals were scored.

Buffalo got their offense hyped up for the second period as they got fifteen of their own shots on net, however none went past Brodeur. New Jersey had eleven shots on goal.

The third period brought nothing more than the first two periods did. Both teams shot eight times with none getting past the net-minders. Overtime would be the final decision of this game.

Ilya Kovalchuk stepped onto the ice in OT preparing to make something happen, and he did. Only fifty-three seconds into the period an Kovalchuk blasted a one timer slapshot past Miller to end the game in overtime. Jamie Langenbrunner picked up his third assist of the season with Matt Taormina picking up his first assist of the season.

New Jersey made do with what players they had last night with some of them being sidelined with injuries. Today the Devils called up three players from Albany to fill out their roster with those players being Jacob Josefson, Tim Sestito and Matt Corrente.

Colorado is the next team New Jersey will face on Friday night at the Rock. The Devils hope to give some solid ice time to their new comers and their veterans as they continue their race to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.