The Buffalo Sabres needed a response, and they got one in a hurry Friday night.
After a frustrating 2-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday, Buffalo jumped out to a 2-1 lead after one period and then buried the Columbus Blue Jackets with three goals in the second on the way to a 5-2 win. It was a needed bounce-back, but it also doubled as a showcase for a few individual players and a reminder of what the Sabres can look like when the game tilts their way.
The win snapped Buffalo’s home drought, giving the Sabres their first home victory since October 12 against the Florida Panthers. It also pushed them back to .500 and moved their overall record to 8-5-3.
Josh Norris was the clearest example of a player answering the bell.
With Jiri Kulich returning from injury, there was at least some question about who would come out of the lineup. Buffalo chose Ryan McLeod as the healthy scratch, but Norris still had plenty to prove after Lindy Ruff made it clear what he wanted to see from him.
“I will tell you I have spent a lot of time with him,” Ruff said. “I would like to see the chances go up; I’d like to see the puck possession go up.”
Norris delivered exactly that, and then some. He scored twice against Columbus, starting in the first period when Owen Power found him in the offensive zone. Norris held his patience, waited for Jet Greaves to open a lane, and slipped the puck through the five-hole.
He wasn’t done there. In the second period, Zach Benson made a strong play behind the net and fed Norris in front, where the veteran forward again showed patience before circling around Greaves and finishing for his second goal of the night.
Norris came into the game with only two goals on the season and had gone six straight games without scoring. One night doesn’t erase the slow start, but it was a much-needed step in the right direction.
Buffalo’s second period was just as important as Norris’ breakout.
The Sabres had been struggling badly in that frame, especially at home. Before Friday, they had scored only four second-period goals at home while allowing 10. Against Columbus, they flipped that script completely and put up three in the middle period alone.
Rasmus Dahlin opened the floodgates with a one-timer from the blue line to make it 3-1. Norris followed with his second of the night, and about a minute later Josh Doan got one when the puck deflected up off his glove and into the net.
That kind of second-period push has been a difference-maker for Buffalo before. Last season, the Sabres were strong in that frame at home and finished with a +19 goal differential. On Friday, they once again used the second period to take control and never looked back.
There was also a noticeable wrinkle on the back end.
Conor Timmins returned for the first time this season after missing time with a preseason injury, and he replaced Louis Crevier in the lineup. The expectation was that Timmins would skate with Zach Metsa, but Ruff mixed and matched the defensive pairs throughout the night instead.
Timmins logged 6:25 with Owen Power and 4:09 with Mattias Samuelsson. Olen Zellweger, who has usually been paired almost exclusively with Power, spent more than eight minutes with Metsa and only 3:28 with Power.
The rotation seemed to do the job. Columbus was held to just 16 scoring chances at 5-on-5, the fourth-lowest total Buffalo has allowed this season. If that setup works again, it would not be a surprise to see the Sabres keep it in place Sunday against the Vegas Golden Knights.
In Other News...
Sabres May Have A Trade Chance With Ryan McLeod Suddenly In Limbo
Ryan McLeods place in the Sabres lineup has become a little less certain lately, which is notable for a player Buffalo brought in to help stabilize the middle of the ice. He has recently been a healthy scratch and is no longer a regular presence in the rotation, a turn that naturally invites questions about where he fits as the season moves along.
That kind of uncertainty is exactly why McLeod has started to surface in trade chatter, even if nothing concrete is in place. Edmonton has been floated as a possible fit if it wants more depth at center, and Buffalo would be looking for future value in return, but for now this is still more idea than deal, with the Sabres left to decide whether McLeod is part of their long-term picture or a movable piece. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Face A Familiar Threat As Zach Benson Keeps Rolling
The Sabres head into an afternoon matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights looking to keep a useful trend alive, having already taken their last two day games this season. Buffalo also has a familiar subplot waiting on the other side, with Jack Eichel back in the building in the colors of the team he now leads, a reminder of how much history still hangs over these meetings even as the standings and rosters have changed.
For Buffalo, the more immediate concern is keeping Zach Bensons recent run going while avoiding the kind of special-teams trouble that can tilt a game quickly. The Sabres have had enough success in the recent series to feel they can handle Vegas, but this is the sort of matchup where discipline and puck management matter just as much as a hot hand up front. [Read more 🡒]
Jordan Greenways New Team May Already Be Reconsidering The Fit
Jordan Greenways stay in Chicago may already be headed for another turn, with Sportsnets Elliotte Friedman reporting that the Blackhawks are looking at roster changes as they try to dig out of a difficult season. The former Sabres forward has had a quiet start with his new club, posting one goal and a minus-4 rating in 16 games, and Chicago has reportedly been fielding interest on other players and prospects as well.
For Buffalo fans, it is another reminder of how quickly the trade market can shift for a player who only recently moved on. Greenways situation is still fluid as the Blackhawks weigh their options, and his name now sits among the pieces Chicago may move if it decides to keep reshaping the roster. [Read more 🡒]