BUFFALO, N.Y. — Jeremy Swayman and the league-leading Boston Bruins had unfinished business to address before entertaining thoughts of finally going home following a week on the road.

In a five-game trip that began with losses in Detroit and Chicago to mark Boston’s first two-game skid of the season, the Bruins closed with three straight wins, capped by a 7-0 rout of the reeling Buffalo Sabres on Sunday.

Captain Patrice Bergeron set the tone by scoring 15 seconds into the game. The Bruins scored three times on their first seven shots. David Pastrnak matched a career-high by scoring his team-leading 48th goal. And Swayman made 26 saves to post his second straight shutout, which he celebrated by taking a bite out of a chicken wing offered to him by fellow goalie Linus Ullmark.

“Love that guy,” Swayman said of Ullmark, before addressing how important it was for the Bruins to regain their groove.

“I think the biggest thing is just staying in the moment, learning from our mistakes and taking the positives from games that we don’t like,” Swayman said. “So the last couple of games have been a really big positive for our team.”

Swayman, who was coming off a 36-save outing in a 3-0 win at Winnipeg on Thursday, blanked the NHL’s third-best offense. He now has four shutouts this season, all coming in a span of 13 starts dating to a 6-0 win over Philadelphia on Jan. 16.

Jake DeBrusk had a goal and three assists, and Garnet Hathaway, Hampus Lindholm, Charlie Coyle and Charlie McAvoy also scored.

Boston continued its domination over its Atlantic Division rival, improving to 19-1-1 in its last 21 meetings against the Sabres and 9-0-1 in the last 10 since a 6-4 loss at Buffalo on April 23, 2021. The Bruins have outscored the Sabres 14-1 in their last two matchups.

The Sabres dropped to 2-7-2 in their last 11 as part of a swoon that began immediately after they won five of six to move into eighth-place in the Eastern Conference standings. Buffalo squandered yet another opportunity to gain ground after opening the day in 11th place, six points behind the eighth-place Pittsburgh Penguins.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 19 shots in dropping to 0-3-2 in his last five, a stretch in which he’s allowed 21 goals.

The Bruins bookended a three-goal first period with a three-goal third.

Brad Marchand set up the opening goal by getting to a loose puck to the right of Buffalo’s net and then making a no-look feed to Bergeron for a one-timer from the slot.

Jakub Zboril’s lengthy pass from his own zone caught the Sabres napping in allowing Hathaway to walk in alone and beat Luukkonen on the short side at 9:01. DeBrusk scored less than three minutes later by converting Coyle’s no-look pass through the middle.

The Bruins won their 26th road game to match a franchise record set in 1971-72. Boston’s 53 wins through 69 games match the team’s fourth-highest total, and are four short of the franchise record set during a 78-game season in 1970-71.

“This was a big game. And to head back home after a long trip and to play like that and get the result is huge for us,” McAvoy said. “When we play the right way, our skill can take over once our work ethic and compete go first.”

NOTES

Bruins center David Krejci was scratched because of what Coach Jim Montgomery referred to as “soreness,” while defenseman Dmitry Orlov was given the day off with Boston playing on consecutive days. They were replaced in the lineup by A.J. Greer and Zboril.

Sabres Coach Don Granato said newly signed Northeastern goalie Devon Levi is with the team but likely won’t be able to practice until at least Tuesday while awaiting immigration clearance. Levi signed with Buffalo on Friday after completing his junior season. He won the Mike Richter Award as college hockey’s top goalie a year ago and is a finalist this year.

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