For the first time this season, goaltender Jacob Markstrom led the New Jersey Devils onto the ice.

It was a special moment as he began his New Jersey tenure in the 2024 NHL Global Series at the O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic.

The 34-year-old was joined by defensemen Brenden Dillon, Johnathan Kovacevic, Seamus Casey and forward Paul Cotter, all of whom made their Devils debut against the Buffalo Sabres.

For the first time, head coach Sheldon Keefe sat on the New Jersey bench.

In a black suit and with a stoic expression, Keefe saw his team take a 1-0 lead thanks to Stefan Noesen. The winger’s shot beat opposing goalkeeper Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen midway through the first period.

Kovacevic was credited with the only assist that earned him his first point of the season in his first minutes as a Devil. The defenseman continued to shine as he extended New Jersey’s lead to 2-0 with his first goal since January 23, 2024.

In the early stages, the 27-year-old blueliner played six minutes, scored a goal, provided an assist and blocked a shot. Not a bad way for the new guy to make an impression.

“It was a lot of fun playing with the group,” said Kovacevic. “Obviously it’s great when you win, so it’s a great start to the season.”

At the start of the second period, Nico Hischier beat Luukkonen to score his first goal of the 2024/25 season. Paul Cotter shot the puck toward the net, where Nathan Bastian caught it and quickly moved it to his captain, giving New Jersey a 3-0 lead.

Markstrom was perfect after 40 minutes of play, making 18 saves, including an impressive save from Nicolas Aube-Kubel.

“I couldn’t quite put my finger on how that one stayed out, which is usually a sign that the goalie did something incredible,” Keefe said of his keeper. “He was great.”

In the third period, Markstrom conceded his first and only goal on the 24th shot he faced. Sabers defenseman Owen Power’s wrist shot beat the New Jersey goalie with 9:53 left.

After a late push from Buffalo, Cotter scored into an empty net in the final minutes of the game, securing his club a 4-1 victory.

The former Vegas Golden Knight was one of the few players to impress in their debut with the Devils. Markstrom made 30 saves on 31 shots while Kovacevic scored two points and was named the game’s first star.

Keefe met with the media after earning his first win as the Devils’ head coach. He explained that his group was ready to get going after a preseason in which nothing went right.

“Things didn’t really work out for us in pre-season, but the signs were there,” he said. “We’ve had some really good training sessions since the end of pre-season and I think the boys were excited for the game and it showed early on.”

The Devils placed a heavy emphasis on the forecheck, rushing to the net and playing with the style Keefe has used since opening training camp in September.

The Devils will be back in action Saturday morning. They will finish their matchup against the Sabers before returning to New Jersey on Sunday.

Related: The Mental Side of the Game: Devils Players and Mental Skills Coach Andy Swärd Take You Behind the Scenes

Related: Markstrom is named a Save of the Year candidate in the first game