The Devils are coming into this 1st game of the NHL season after a disappointing year. They missed the playoffs last season, but they also finished in 7th place of the Metro Division. They are coming into this season with a lot more optimism and an improved defense as well. They are going up against a Sabres team that is also coming off of a season which they missed the playoffs, but they have been rebuilding their team over the years and will be looking to take a big step this season. They have also improved their defense, but they did not allow a lot of goals last season either. This game is going to be at a neutral location in Czechia and that is going to affect how this game plays out. Neither team wants to start the season with a loss in a foreign country, so both of these teams are going to take a more cautious and defensive approach in this game, especially since it is the 1st game of the season. This game will not get out to a quick start either as these teams are not used to the arena they are playing in and will take some time to get a feel for the ice. Neither of the teams players have played in a preseason game in a over a week either so there is going to be a bit of rust on both sides. Then there is the atmosphere as well. With this game being in a foreign country, there is not going to be a true home advantage for either side so the crowd will not have much of an impact on these players either. This is going to be a low scoring and more defensive game that stays under the total.