Josh Norris stayed hot and the Buffalo Sabres carried their surge into New Jersey, skating to a 3-1 win over the Devils on Sunday night at Prudential Center to extend their win streak to six games.
The win streak is Buffalo’s longest since 2022 and has pushed the Sabres to a season-best mark of three games over .500 at 17-14-4. With points in 10 of their last 11 contests, Buffalo has moved within striking distance in the Atlantic Division, closing to within three points of the Tampa Bay Lightning for third place.
After falling behind 1-0, Norris drew the Sabres even in the second period, finishing off a strong shift to score his fourth goal in nine games this season. Since returning from injury on December 1, Norris has recorded at least one point in seven of eight appearances, continuing to provide a much-needed boost to Buffalo’s offense.
Zach Benson gave the Sabres the lead later in the period, slipping a no-look shot inside the near post on an odd-man rush. Peyton Krebs sealed the victory with an empty-net goal in the final minutes, his first tally of the season, after a determined forecheck.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made his first start since December 8 and turned aside 26 shots. His best stop came early, when he flashed the glove to deny Arseny Gritsyuk on a 2-on-1 rush while Buffalo trailed.
The Sabres will look to keep the momentum rolling in their final game before the holiday break on Tuesday in Ottawa at 7 p.m.
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Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].