In tonight’s Devils vs Sabres matchup, the Devils need this game a lot more than the Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo is just about out of playoff contention, while the Devils are still just five points back of the fourth spot in the Metropolitan Division. That is one of many reasons that we expect the New Jersey Devils to win this contest on the road.

Along with the heightened sense of urgency for the Devils compared to their opponents, New Jersey should take advantage of the struggles the Sabres have had on their home ice this season. Buffalo is 17-18-1 at home on the year. While that isn’t a terrible record, you would certainly expect to see a team with as passionate a fan base as Buffalo’s sit above .500 in home games. But that is not the case, which should work in the favor of New Jersey in this matchup.

New Jersey also comes into this game playing well recently, having won two games in a row. Those wins came against the Toronto Maple Leafs and the New York Islanders, with the Devils outscoring their two opponents 10-3 over those two contests. While the Devils might not maintain their average of five goals per game from that small sample of games, they should be able to do enough to win this contest.

New Jersey would pull to within two points of the fourth-place Capitals in the Metro Division standings if they were to win this Devils vs Sabres matchup. We expect them to do just that and to make the race for the playoffs in their division a little more interesting.

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