Josh Norris is healthy and on a roll. So, too, are the Buffalo Sabres, riding a six-game winning streak. He and his teammates will aim to keep that going when they visit the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday.
For Norris, it will be a return to Ottawa and his first game against his former team since Buffalo acquired him before the NHL trade deadline last season in a multi-player deal that included Dylan Cozens as the main piece acquired by the Senators.
The Sabres and Senators have faced off three times since then — twice last season and once in October — but Norris has been injured each time.
He returned from his latest injury on Dec. 1 and has 10 points (four goals, six assists) in the eight games he’s played since. He’s been held without a point in just one of those games — Saturday against the New York Islanders — but scored the game-deciding goal in the shootout in that contest.
“I’ve talked about it a lot before — it sucks sitting out. The worst thing ever,” Norris said last week. “I think it just makes you appreciate it that much more when you’re back, and I think you kind of look at things a little bit differently. Just really happy to be back, contribute.”
Buffalo is coming off a 3-1 victory against the New Jersey Devils on Sunday, picking up its fourth straight road win after just two wins in its first 13 as the visitors.
“I think we got a lot of skill in this room,” Sabres winger Zach Benson said. “I think it just comes down to competing every night, being consistent, and I think we’re doing that of late, and it’s paying off for us.”
Benson scored the go-ahead goal against New Jersey and has three goals and five points in the past five games.
The Senators are on a roll themselves, having won four straight and five of six after a 6-2 triumph against the Boston Bruins on Sunday.
“We were playing good coming in, and with the way the standings are, this was a huge game, a four-point game,” forward Drake Batherson said. “We came out ready to go and it paid off for us. … We did a good job keeping the lead throughout the game. It’s a big win against a team like that.”
Fabian Zetterlund had two goals and an assist against Boston, giving him six points in his past three games.
“He’s a great player,” Senators forward Tim Stutzle said. “I told him last game, shoot the puck to score, and he’s been getting good. He’s getting better every game. He’s creating a lot of chances, and it’s good to see him putting pucks in the net.”
Each member of the top line of Zetterlund, Stutzle and captain Brady Tkachuk is helping fuel the Senators’ success of late. Stutzle is on a seven-game point streak (six goals, eight assists) while Tkachuk is on a five-game point streak (five goals, two assists).
“We complement each other great,” Zetterlund said. “We’re skating, we want the puck, we want to hold onto it, create some space out there, and when we bring it to the net, things happen.”
