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New Jersey Devils vs Buffalo Sabres

Regular season · Saturday, December 26, 2026 · KeyBank Center

New Jersey DevilsNew JerseyDevilsAway

vs

Buffalo SabresBuffaloSabresHome

MSG-B · MSG

Game preview

The New Jersey Devils visit the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Saturday, December 26, 2026, with puck drop at 7:00 PM ET. The game is on MSG-B and MSG.

This is the first of 3 meetings between the teams this season.

Rest and travel

Devils

Game 2 of a road trip: NY Rangers, now Buffalo.

  1. 162026-12-16: no game
  2. 172026-12-17: vs TOR
  3. 182026-12-18: no game
  4. 192026-12-19: vs BOS
  5. 202026-12-20: vs NSH, second of a back-to-backB2B
  6. 212026-12-21: no game
  7. 222026-12-22: at NYR
  8. 232026-12-23: no game
  9. 242026-12-24: no game
  10. 252026-12-25: no game
  11. 262026-12-26: at BUF
rest since last game
3 days
rest since last game
since last game
~292 mi
since last game
on this road trip
~301 mi
on this road trip
body clock vs home
Home time
body clock vs home

Sabres

Back home after a game in Pittsburgh.

  1. 162026-12-16: no game
  2. 172026-12-17: no game
  3. 182026-12-18: vs MTL
  4. 192026-12-19: no game
  5. 202026-12-20: vs LAK
  6. 212026-12-21: no game
  7. 222026-12-22: at PIT
  8. 232026-12-23: no game
  9. 242026-12-24: no game
  10. 252026-12-25: no game
  11. 262026-12-26: vs NJD
rest since last game
3 days
rest since last game
since last game
~178 mi
since last game
on this road trip
~356 mi
on this road trip
body clock vs home
Home time
body clock vs home
Home game Road game This gameB2B = second night of a back-to-back. Distances are approximate.

Lines from last game

New Jersey DevilsDevilsTue, Oct 13 at DET
  1. L1NewBratt#63Hughes#86Gritsyuk#81
    16:14 together at 5v5
  2. L2NewHischier#13Mercer#91Meier#28
    11:57 together at 5v5
  3. L3NewRodrigues#17Noesen#11Mantha#39
    9:16 together at 5v5
  4. L4Glass#12Boqvist#70Lombardi#93
    7:45 together at 5v5
  1. D1Pesce#22Hughes#43
    21:22 together at 5v5
  2. D2Hamilton#7Siegenthaler#71
    16:46 together at 5v5
  3. D3NewKovacevic#8Chisholm#47
    14:32 together at 5v5

Power play

  1. 1Bratt LRodrigues CHischier CHughes CHughes D0:46

Penalty kill

  1. 1Rodrigues CHischier CHamilton DSiegenthaler D1:13
  2. 2Glass CMercer CPesce DHughes D0:33
Buffalo SabresSabresTue, Oct 13 at MTL
  1. L1Benson#6Ostlund#86Quinn#22
    10:23 together at 5v5
  2. L2McLeod#71Kulich#20Helenius#94
    7:12 together at 5v5
  3. L3Thompson#72Krebs#19Doan#91
    6:57 together at 5v5
  4. L4NewMalenstyn#29Norris#9Danforth#15
    6:26 together at 5v5
  1. D1NewSamuelsson#23Zellweger#8
    14:05 together at 5v5
  2. D2Power#25Metsa#73
    11:55 together at 5v5
  3. D3NewGilbert#44Crevier#46
    6:02 together at 5v5

Power play

  1. 1Benson LThompson COstlund CQuinn RPower D3:35

Penalty kill

  1. 1Malenstyn LDanforth RSamuelsson DCrevier D0:55
  2. 2Malenstyn LSamuelsson DPower D0:49

Behind the bench

Each grey tick is one NHL team.

NJDBUF

Settled lines

Share of 5v5 time from the regular top four lines · 2026–27

NJD 72% (8th most settled)BUF 64% (12th most shuffled)
← Shuffles linesKeeps lines together →

Goalie pull, down one

Median time left in the 3rd when the goalie comes out, delayed penalties excluded · 2025–26 · under 10 pulls is a small sample

NJD 2:05 left (4th earliest · 14 pulls)BUF 1:54 left (13th earliest · 9 pulls)
← Pulls latePulls early →

Average shift

All skaters, all strengths · 2025–26

NJD 49.6s (8th longest)BUF 46.8s (7th shortest)
← Short shiftsLong shifts →

Caught on long shifts

Share of 5v5 goals against with a skater 60s+ into his shift · 2025–26

NJD 35% (5th most often)BUF 28% (14th least often)
← Rarely caughtOften caught →

Season series