'We were just hustling' | Norris shows 2-way impact on winning goal vs. Oilers

Josh Norris was crossing the defensive blue line as Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard turned in the neutral zone to chase a loose puck down the KeyBank Center ice.

The head start didn’t matter. Norris chased down Bouchard at the right faceoff dot on the opposite end and poked the puck free to Tage Thompson, who carried the puck across the net and scored the game-winning goal in Buffalo’s 3-2 victory on Tuesday.

The assist – Norris’ first point as a member of the Sabres – was exactly the type of play Buffalo envisioned when it acquired the centerman from the Ottawa Senators ahead of last Friday’s trade deadline.

“Bouchard, he was a step ahead of me, but I figured I could maybe get him,” Norris said. “I just hustled my way [back] and so did Tage. We were just hustling.”

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 32 saves in the victory, which snapped a six-game winless streak for the Sabres. Thompson scored a pair of goals to increase his team-leading season total to 33 and Alex Tuch added his ninth goal in the past 11 games.

But the winning play from Norris – among others as the game wore on – was a depiction of the two-way ability that members of the Sabres had described in the days following the trade. Although already an accomplished goal scorer at age 24 – with 20 this season and a career-best 35 in 2021-22 – much of the conversation revolved around his defense.

Thompson referred to Norris’ on-ice positioning as the foremost trait that came to mind when he thought back to their head-to-head matchups in Ottawa. By being in the right places consistently, Thompson said, Norris was able make his linemates better.

Three nights later, Thompson experienced the benefit of Norris’ defensive awareness firsthand. The play on his game-winning goal actually began in the Edmonton end, where Norris aggressively stole the puck from Leon Draisaitl near the blue line.

“Unreal play,” Thompson said. “Starts in the D-zone, big coverage, wins a puck battle. We were both chasing down the puck, wins another puck battle, slides it over, and I’m all alone in front. So, great effort by him.”

Norris was primarily matched up with Draisaitl throughout the evening, sharing the ice with the NHL’s leading goal scorer for 6:25 at 5-on-5. The Sabres outscored the Oilers 2-1 in those minutes and led 3-1 in high-danger chances, according to Natural Stat Trick.

“I think that’s the player we see,” said Sabres coach Lindy Ruff, who said this past weekend that he sees No. 1 center potential in Norris. “The player that can play against top guys, play against top lines and still be a good offensive player.”

Norris also teased his all-situations ability, which Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams touted as a reason the team pursued Norris at the deadline. On a second-period penalty kill, Norris pounced on an errant pass in the defensive zone, charged over the blue line and delivered a pass under pressure to Connor Clifton, who drew a hooking call.

“I’ve always tried to play that type of game since I was a little younger,” Norris said of his defensive tendencies. “It’s just kind of how I was raised and the coaches I had and the people that influenced me. So, it’s definitely a big part of my game.”

Here’s more from the win over Edmonton.

1. Norris was asked postgame about his early impressions of Thompson. He complimented his new linemate’s welcoming spirit, nice persona, and – tallness.

“I knew he was big, but I didn’t realize (how tall),” Norris said. “He was in front of me on the bench for the anthem and I was like (pauses and looks up). He’s a mountain.”

2. The Oilers dictated play early with their high-octane attack, leading 8-3 in shots when Draisaitl broke loose for a breakaway about seven minutes into the game. Luukkonen got a piece of the attempt with his blocker, one of four saves he made on Draisaitl.

The early stops from Luukkonen paved the way for Thompson to open the scoring late in the first period and for the Sabres to find their game defensively.

“He made some big saves to keep us in it and calm us down a little bit to allow us to get to our game,” Thompson said. “I think once we did that, we were good.”

3. Thompson’s first goal was scored unassisted. Thompson drove with speed through the neutral zone and took a hard shot from the high slot. Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner stopped the puck but fumbled the rebound, which gave Thompson a second chance.

4. The Oilers tied the game 1-1 early in the second period on a one-timer from Darnell Nurse. Tuch reclaimed the lead for the Sabres with his 25th goal of the season, a one-timer taken from the slot on a feed from Ryan McLeod.

5. Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin quietly had a dominant night against two of the NHL’s premier superstars. With Dahlin on the ice at 5-on-5, the Sabres led 1-0 on the scoreboard, 23-14 in shot attempts, and 5-2 in high-danger chances, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Dahlin skated 8:24 against Draisaitl and 7:34 against McDavid.

6. Jordan Greenway returned to the lineup after missing Saturday’s game in Florida due to an illness. Jiri Kulich, who is recovering from the same illness, participated in the team’s morning skate but did not play.

7. The Sabres welcomed back forward Jeff Skinner for his first game as a visitor since departing the team this past offseason. Check out the tribute video that aired during the first period in the post below.

Up next

The Sabres visit the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday. The game will be nationally televised on TNT and Max with puck drop scheduled for 7:30 p.m.