By Chris Ryan | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The Devils opened the 2018 Prospects Challenge with a 6-4 loss to the Buffalo Sabres at Harborcenter in Buffalo on Friday.

Both offenses showed up to play, and while the Devils never held the lead, they answered back to tie the game three times over the course of the night. Here's a look at some observations and takeaways from the first game of the rookie tournament.

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Goal scorers

While it was a loss, there was plenty of goal scoring to go around for the Devils. Brett Seney, Nathan Bastian, Colton White and Fabian Zetterlund all found the back of the net, and all managed to do so to quickly answer a goal scored by the Sabres.

Seney tied the game at 1-1 late in the first period when gathered a loose puck around the crease and slipped it inside the right post. Bastian tied the game at 2-2 in the second with some dirty work of his own at the net, punching in a rebound moments after the Sabres scored.

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Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Following two straight Sabres goals later in the second, White scored on a shot from the point that found its way through traffic to make it 4-3. Zetterlund tied the game moments later following the ensuing face-off. He set up in the slot and took a quick shot to pull the Devils even again.

They didn't have an answer to the two goals scored by the Sabres in the third period, but it was a good start offensively to the weekend.

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Dahlin the real deal

Before we dive into more Devils takeaways, it's worth pointing out that Rasmus Dahlin appears as good as advertised. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 NHL Draft by the Sabres finished with two goals and one assist, including the game-winning goal that put Buffalo ahead for good in the third period. Both of Dahlin's goals were set up by his own outlet passes to transition the Sabres into the offensive zone, and he followed up to score later on both plays.

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Jeffrey T. Barnes | AP Photo

Dahlin also delivered a couple big hit throughout the night and played soundly on defense.

Much like Nico Hischier did for the Devils last season, Dahlin is a sure bet to step right into the Sabres' NHL defense to make an immediate impact during the 2018-19 season.

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Seney shines

On top of his goal, Seney made himself known across the ice in his debut in the Prospects Challenge. He found his way to the net on multiple occasions, both with and without the puck. Even at his smaller size, he finds a way to make an impact in that area of the ice, and he's not afraid to get physical once he's there.

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In the open ice, Seney's speed was on display. On his own goal, it was Seney who rushed up the ice, carrying the puck from the Devils' defensive zone all the way across both blue lines. Once he dropped a pass in the offensive zone, he looped right down to the front of the net to put in the Devils' first goal of the night.

Seney later added an assist on Zetterlund's goal in the second period.

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Strong night for Zetterlund

While the goals by Seney and Bastian were right in around the net, Zetterlund's allowed him to show off his quick shot. He snapped a wrist shot into net from the slot to tie the game in the second period, and it added to an already impressive night for the Swedish forward.

Zetterlund has the same speed and quickness possessed by other Devils prospects, but he also has good strength for his size. He's not the biggest player at 5-11, but Zetterlund is tough to knock off the puck, and he can play physically without it.

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Down by two?



Not anymore 😈 pic.twitter.com/A1hQCPagoN — Binghamton Devils (@BingDevils) September 8, 2018

Zetterlund, a 2017 third-round pick by the Devils, may not be at Devils training camp in the coming weeks, since he will be playing his 2018-19 season with Farjestad BK in the SHL in Sweden. But he's already shown flashes of the type of player he could become, and he should get at least one more game over the weekend in Buffalo.

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Chris Ryan | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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Blackwood shaky in return

While both offenses were humming, that meant it was a rough night for the goalies. For the Devils, Mackenzie Blackwood allowed six goals in his return to the net. It was his first real competitive action since suffering a knee injury late in the 2017-18 season, which forced him to miss the remainder o the ECHL playoffs with the Adirondack Devils.

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Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Blackwood did make some athletic saves over the course of the night, and he didn't get a ton of help in front of him. The Devils allowed a pair of shorthanded goals off rushes, leaving Blackwood out to dry on a couple occasions.

Blackwood likely won't see the net again during the Prospects Challenge, since the Devils are also carrying goalies Cam Johnson and Akira Schmid. While it was encouraging to get Blackwood into a game, he'll look for more positive results in the preseason.

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Smith's debut

Friday's game served as the Devils debut for 2018 first-round pick Ty Smith, and the defenseman immediately found himself playing in some big spots. Lining up in the top pairing allowed him to play some tough minutes at 5-on-5 against some of the Sabres' top prospects, and Smith also anchored the Devils' top power-play unit.

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Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media

He didn't get on the scoresheet in his debut, but Smith had a solid all-around game. He did make some mistakes while handling the puck, leading to a couple turnovers over the course. He'll adjust more to the time and space he has in the pros as he continues to play in the Prospects Challenge and the preseason. But overall, Smith made smart passes and helped the Devils move possession up ice.

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How Devils' Joey Anderson, Michael McLeod, Blake Speers and Ty Smith are approaching Prospects Challenge

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Chris Ryan may be reached at cryan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com Devils on Facebook.