After two losses, Sabres rally for back-to-back wins

Photo courtesy of Michael Barera/Wikimedia Commons

After a resilient rebound week, the Buffalo Sabres snapped back from two tough losses to defeat the Minnesota Wild and Winnipeg Jets, highlighted by Josh Norris’s explosive return and Noah Ostlund’s shootout heroics that helped restore momentum to a promising season.

The Buffalo Sabres are not known for winning games, especially within the past couple of years, but they have proven that this year has been different. With 11 wins and 11 losses, they have a long way to get the Stanley Cup, but they are playing hard. After two tough losses to the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New Jersey Devils, the Sabres had a comeback with wins against the Minnesota Wild and the Winnipeg Jets this week.

The loss to the Penguins on Nov. 26 was a hard one for the Sabres, with the Penguins’ goaltender Triston Jerry returning from injury and stopping 29 shots on goal. In comparison, Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen only stopped 15 goals during the game, saying afterward, “We’ve got to be better as a team…And myself, too, to kind of just not let the game slip away that easily.” Even though they lost, they kept playing offensively and managed to end the game with two goals. 

Although the Sabres lost a tough shutout game to the Devils on Nov. 28, they showed their offensive strength with over 40 shots on goal. Although they did not beat the Devils, they played a hard game. After the game, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said, “We had opportunities to put the puck in the back of the net. We missed those opportunities.” Ultimately, the Sabres came back and proved their ability in the next two games. 

In an astounding win, the Sabres upset the Wild’s seven-game winning streak on Nov. 29. The close game ended in a post-regulation shoot-out with center Noah Ostlund scoring the winning goal for the Sabres. Ruff further commented, “I thought it was a night, where on the road, against a good team…we played the game the right way all night.” Even after the difficult loss to the Devils the night prior, the Sabres came back strong and played as a team to defeat the Wild. 

In addition to the strong win against the Wild, the Sabres also defeated the Jets in a stunning five-to-one game on Monday, Dec. 1. After being injured all season, center Josh Norris returned for this game to score two of the team’s five goals, as well as assist in the third. About his return, Norris said, “I just thought they did a great job up to this point, and I just wanted to come in and contribute.” Norris drew a penalty early in the game, allowing him to assist a goal on the power play. In just his first game back, it is obvious that he is one of the best players on the team.

Alex Tuch, a forward for the Sabres, also scored one goal against the Jets. Tuch commented on Norris’s return, saying, “When you miss a guy like that, it definitely hurts. It’s good to get him back.” Norris’s return to the Sabres and Tuch’s comment that “to replace a guy like that is damn near impossible” shows just how important he is to the team and their winning chances. 

In the next couple of weeks, the Sabres will be playing a tough six games and will need to show exactly what type of team they are. With such a strong player returning, and the strength the team has shown this season, there is little doubt that they will be able to hold their own as they go on to play this season.