“Just OK,” in Brent Sutter’s evaluation, wasn’t good enough.
Spoiling Kevin Weekes’ first game since Nov. 21, the Devils’ emotion wasn’t there, and neither was victory, a night after their wild triumph over the Rangers.
Playing their third in four nights and for second consecutive evening at home, the Devils allowed the game’s final three goals to fall 4-2 to the Sabres last night in Newark.
The loss snapped New Jersey’s four-game winning streak and run of five straight triumphs at home. And though they weren’t terrible, they weren’t the same team that previously had won nine of 10.
“I feel bad for [Weekes],” Jamie Langenbrunner said. “We’d been playing so sharp, and he’s worked his [tail] off in practice. We all feel bad for that. I thought he deserved better.”
Sutter, who went with Scott Clemmensen for seven straight and 10 of 11, was not enthusiastic about Weekes’ performance.
“OK,” he said. “He hadn’t played in a while. He played OK.”
Weekes was scrambling before the Sabres’ opening goal, and might have been quicker moving across when Derek Roy scored the 4-on-3 winner in the third, but he wasn’t the reason the Devils lost.
“I don’t think we stepped on the pedal at all. This was a game for us to win and we played right into their hands,” Bobby Holik said.
Weekes said he thought he played well, and when asked if he felt as though he was trying to show the brass something, he said, “I shouldn’t have to, that’s for sure. I just try to play well.”
After beating the Islanders 5-2 Nov. 21, Weekes sat out seven straight games, and Scott Clemmensen ran 6-1. Last night was his sixth (2-4) start of Martin Brodeur’s absence, while Clemmensen (8-3) has started 11. Weekes’ stock fell when he allowed four in 40 minutes to the Rangers Nov. 12, although Clemmensen gave up five in 60 minutes for Friday’s 8-5 triumph over the Rangers.
Weekes fell behind 1:10 into play, after Colin White lost the puck to Thomas Vanek. Jochen Hecht took over and skated dangerously past the right side of the cage before centering into the crease. Hecht circled behind the net and recovered the puck on the left side for a backhand, which Vanek rebounded at the right edge of the crease.
Patrik Elias tied the game 58 seconds into the second, taking Brian Gionta’s criss-cross drop to fire over Patrick Lalime’s glove from the left circle. Elias’ 13th this season stretched his point streak to six games.
Holik then gave New Jersey the lead at 5:09 with his first since returning to the Devils as a free agent this summer. David Clarkson turned Jaroslav Spacek 1-1 on a right side rush, and when Paul Gaustad left Holik to hit Clarkson, Holik whipped Clarkson’s feed past Lalime’s stick.
Buffalo, which lost 2-1 to the Leafs on Friday, squared the game again on its first power play. Nathan Gerbe’s right circle shot deflected off Bryce Salvador, and rebounded off Weekes’ pads to the left side, where Drew Stafford had an open net for his sixth at 11:05 of the second.
Roy converted a 4-on-3 power play to give the Sabres the 3-2 lead at 5:43 of the third. From deep on right wing, Roy whipped a return from Spacek past Weekes on the short side for his ninth.
Johnny Oduya was caught roaming on Vanek’s second of the night at 12:54, the right-sider contending up his left boards with Andrej Sekera, when Roy reached in, extracted the puck and fed the slot. Vanek was alone to pick the corner over Weekes’ glove for his league-leading 24th and the insurance the Sabres wouldn’t need.
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Travis Zajac remained in lineup after sitting out the third period Friday from a crushing check by Rangers’ Dan Girardi. . . . The Devils scored two shorthanders Friday for the 10th time in team history, and first since a pair by Alexander Semak Oct. 16, 1993.
Sabres 4 Devils 2