NEWARK, N.J. _ Each of the four goals the Devils scored on Saturday night in collecting their season-high fourth straight win was a good omen.
Kyle Palmieri snapped a nine-game goal-less streak. Kyle Quincey and John Moore both scored, giving the Devils' eight goals from their defensemen after getting just 20 all of last season. And rookie Nick Lappin scored his second NHL goal as the fourth line produced.
Chip in two assists apiece from Taylor Hall, Adam Henrique and defenseman Damon Severson and another solid outing from goalie Cory Schneider and the Devils swept a home-and-home, back-to-back series from the Sabres with a 4-2 victory in front of a sold-out crowd of 16,514 at Prudential Center.
Schneider stopped 21 shots as the Devils (8-3-3) improved to 6-0-1 at home. Robin Lehner made 23 saves for the Sabres (5-6-4), who have now lost four straight and are in a 1-3-2 slide.
The only negative for the Devils was their 0-for-5 power play, meaning they've gone 0-for-20 on the man advantage over their last five games.
The Devils won, 2-1, in overtime at Buffalo on Friday night as captain Andy Greene converted his first career penalty shot for the victory.
But with an upcoming four-game Western Conference swing starting Tuesday at Dallas and including stops in three California cities, the Devils knew Friday night's win wouldn't mean much without backing it up 24 hours later.
"I think through this stretch there have been segments of really good hockey and segments where we have to battle through to find a way to get points," Devils coach John Hynes said. "I think that's an important part. That allows you to build a little bit of belief. Over 82 games, you'd like to say you're going to play the best hockey but when it's not there, can you find a way to come from behind? Can you find a way to win?"
The Devils, unlike the previous night, never had to come from behind in this one, despite the Sabres tying the game at 1 on Marcus Foligno's goal at 3:41 of the second period.
Foligno, who had to be separated from Lappin on the period's opening draw converted on a turnover after Jacob Josefson's ill-advised cross-ice feed along his blue line. Schneider had already bailed out the Devils earlier in the period as defenseman Justin Falk first rang a shot off the far post from the left, then tracked down the rebound. But Schneider, still prone, reached back with his stick to knock away Falk's second shot 51 seconds into the period.
A Sabres turnover near their blue line led to Hall feeding Lappin on a two-on-one and the rookie converted from the right circle to give the Devils a 2-1 lead at 6:11 of the second period.
That became 3-1 when Palmieri, who hadn't scored since the season's fourth game, beat Lehner over his glove at 11:17 off Severson's second assist.
Sabres coach Dan Bylsma challenged that the play was offside but a video review uphold Palmieri's third goal of the season. It was good timing for Montvale's Palmieri, whose "Squad 21" initiative to bring military personnel to Devils' games _ with a post-game meet-and-greet with Palmieri _ started on Saturday's Military Appreciation Night.
Also unlike Friday night, the Devils started the game with a strong first period and took a 1-0 lead at 4:01 on Quincey's first goal with the team.
Quincey, just inside the blue line, beat Lehner with a slap shot through Henrique's screen.
Matt Moulson, who scored the lone goal for the Sabres on Friday, cut the Devils' lead to 4-2 at 9:43 of the third period with a shot just under the crossbar.
