In all four of the meetings between the Sabres and Devils this season, it took a shootout to determine the outcome. Heading into Wednesday night's game, the Devils had already succeeded in winning the three previous meetings against Buffalo. But on Wednesday night, Ryan Miller stopped the Devils’ chances of sweeping the series and becoming the second team to post four shootout wins against one team in a single season. Even with a bruised right knee he sustained on February 1 against the Atlanta Thrashers, Miller was still able to lead Buffalo to a 3-2 victory.

For the second time in the past week, the Devils had to rely heavily on the scoring of their defensemen. Two defensemen were responsible for all the Devils' scoring: Karel Rachunek notched his second goal in the past week, and Mike Mottau’s goal pushed the game into overtime.

At 2:30 of the first period, Michael Ryan opening the scoring for the Sabres off a deflection from Henrik Tallinder’s point shot, for his fourth goal of the season. Nearly 12 minutes later, a Sabres player tripped up David Clarkson on the way to the bench causing Clarkson to fall into the doorway of the Sabres’ bench. He got up and was then attacked by two other Sabres players. Clarkson had no idea what was going on as a linesman pushed him out of the way to call a roughing penalty on Thomas Vanek.

In the second period, Jason Pominville tallied the second goal of the game at 8:04, which was placed under review after the puck bounced off of his skate, hitting Brodeur and caroming into the net. The goal was deemed legal, and was Pominville's 14th tally of the season. But at 15:25, Rachunek cut the deficit in half when he notched the Devils’ first goal of the game and his third of the season.

In the final period, Mike Mottau tied up the game at 6:16, his third goal of the season, which sent the game into overtime tied at two. The extra session was scoreless, necessitating a shootout. Drew Stafford and Tallinder tallied the first two goals against Brodeur, while the Devils were not able to get a shot past Miller on either of their first two attempts, ending the game 3-2 in favor of the Sabres.

The Devils play their next four games at home. They finish off the week with the Anaheim Ducks on Friday and the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. After Wednesday’s loss, the Devils drop into second place with the first place Philadelphia Flyers only one point ahead.