Devils dominate Sabres in Prague NHL season opener

04 Oct 2024Henrik Lundqvist»

The New Jersey Devils kicked off the 2024 NHL season with a commanding 4-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres in the Global Series opener at Prague's O2 Arena. In front of a passionate Czech crowd, Jacob Markstrom’s 30-save performance and goals from Stefan Noesen, Johnathan Kovacevic, Nico Hischier, and Paul Cotter sealed the win for New Jersey.

The game opened with a tribute to Czech legend Jaromír Jágr, who dropped the ceremonial puck to thunderous applause. The Devils quickly set the pace, outshooting and outplaying the Sabres throughout the first period. Noesen, making his Devils debut, opened the scoring with a snapshot at 8:39, followed by Kovacevic's slap shot just before the end of the period to make it 2-0.

Buffalo pushed back in the second period but was stifled by Markström’s strong goaltending. The Devils capitalized on their few opportunities, with captain Hischier scoring off a wrist shot early in the period, extending New Jersey’s lead to 3-0.

Buffalo finally found the back of the net in the third period when Owen Power scored at 10:07, cutting the deficit to two goals. However, Paul Cotter sealed the win with an empty-netter at 17:28, securing a 4-1 victory.

Ondřej Palát, a local fan favorite, played nearly 14 minutes but did not register a point. Buffalo's Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 19 saves but couldn’t stop the Devils' efficient attack.