Cotter scores as Devils beat Sabres 3-1 to sweep season-opening series in Prague

PRAGUE (AP) — Newcomer Paul Cotter proved his value, scoring again in Prague as the New Jersey Devils beat the Buffalo Sabres 3-1 on Saturday for a sweep of their regular-season-opening series in the Czech capital.

Cotter, among New Jersey's new additions, also scored in a 4-1 win Friday and added an assist.

“He’s got more to offer to our group than he’s shown in the league previously,” coach Sheldon Keefe said. “He obviously scored a huge goal for us and I thought he played a good game.”

The international games were part of the NHL global series. Almost 17,000 spectators attended each of the games. Two more will be played in Tampere, Finland, on Nov. 1-2 when defending Stanley Cup champion Florida faces the Dallas Stars.

Defenseman Seamus Casey and Timo Meier also scored and Jack Hughes had two assists for the Devils, who outshot the Sabres 37-18.

“It was tight and I was glad to see our guys to stay with it and find a way,” Keefe said.

Buffalo's Tage Thompson opened the scoring 8:18 into the second period, poking the puck under the pads of Jake Allen.

Casey levelled it a few minutes later on a power play in his second career NHL game.

Jack Hughes fed Cotter with a cross-ice pass from the right for the unmarked forward to beat Devon Levi in the third period.

Allen stopped 17 shots for the Devils. Levi had 34 saves for the Sabres.

At 6:02 in the opening period, Buffalo forward JJ Peterka took a hit from defenseman Brenden Dillon, was helped off the ice and didn’t return due to an upper body injury.

Coach Lindy Ruff said Peterka, who was the team’s leading scorer with 28 goals last season, had a concussion.

Ruff said he had to change his power-play unit after he was out and “we didn’t look very good on power play.”

“We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us but it’s something that you take, this is a challenge right now," he said.

Czech forward Ondrej Palat missed Saturday’s game for New Jersey and was flying to America where his wife was expected to give birth to their second child.

The Devils allowed 3.43 goals per game last season, tied for the fifth most in the NHL. In Prague, they could rely on goaltenders Jacob Markstrom and Allen, and still have two top-six defensemen in Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce injured.

The Sabres wasted all their power plays in the series, two on Saturday and another four on Friday. They were tied for 28th on the power play (16.6%) last season.

This is the 11th season the NHL has played in Europe as part of its efforts to grow the fan base in hockey-mad countries like the Czech Republic, Sweden, Finland and others. Prague hosted nine of those games. Stockholm, Sweden, is the only location outside North America that has had more.

The Sabres host the Los Angeles Kings while the Devils are at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL

New Jersey Devils' Timo Meier, left, celebrates after scoring his sides third goal past Buffalo Sabres' Devon Levi during the NHL hockey game between Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils, in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

New Jersey Devils' Jesper Bratt, left, skates past Buffalo Sabres' Devon Levi during the NHL hockey game between Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils, in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Buffalo Sabres' Tage Thompson catches the puck during the NHL hockey game between Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils, in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

New Jersey Devils' Seamus Casey, left, celebrates with New Jersey Devils' Erik Haula after scoring his sides first goal during the NHL hockey game between Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils, in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Buffalo Sabres' Devon Levi makes a save during the NHL hockey game between Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils, in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Buffalo Sabres' Dylan Cozen, left, challenges New Jersey Devils' Nico Hischier, 2nd right, during the NHL hockey game between Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils, in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

New Jersey Devils' Jake Allen, left, and New Jersey Devils' Johnathan Kovacevic ceelbrate after the NHL hockey game between Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils, in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Buffalo Sabres' Mattias Samuelsson, left, trise to block a shot by New Jersey Devils' Jesper Bratt during the NHL hockey game between Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils, in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Buffalo Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen challenges New Jersey Devils' Dawson Mercer during the NHL hockey game between Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils, in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Players scuffle during the NHL hockey game between Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils, in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Buffalo Sabres' Alex Tuch, right, challenges New Jersey Devils' Curtis Lazar during the NHL hockey game between Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils, in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

New Jersey Devils' Seamus Casey, left, celebrates with New Jersey Devils' Erik Haula after scoring his sides first goal during the NHL hockey game between Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils, in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Buffalo Sabres' Tage Thompson, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring his sides first goal during the NHL hockey game between Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils, in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

New Jersey Devils' Paul Cotter celebrates after scoring his sides second goal during the NHL hockey game between Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils, in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

New Jersey Devils' Paul Cotter celebrates after scoring his sides second goal during the NHL hockey game between Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils, in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Buffalo Sabres' Tage Thompson, 2nd right, scores his sides first goal during the NHL hockey game between Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils, in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

New Jersey Devils' Paul Cotter scores his sides second goal past Buffalo Sabres' Devon Levi during the NHL hockey game between Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils, in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week but remains at historically healthy levels.

Jobless claim applications rose by 9,000 to 224,000 for the week of Nov. 30, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That's more than the 214,000 analysts were forecasting.

Continuing claims, the total number of Americans collecting jobless benefits, fell by 25,000 to 1.87 million for the week of Nov. 23. That's down from the three-year high levels it had been at the past few weeks.

The four-week average of weekly claims, which quiets some of the weekly volatility, rose by 750 to 218,250.

Weekly applications for jobless benefits are considered a proxy for U.S. layoffs.

While the job markets has shown some softening recently, it remains healthy and has exceeded most expectations considering that interest rates have been elevated in recent years. The Federal Reserve jacked up rates in 2022 and into 2023 in an attempt to squelch the sky-high inflation that developed when the U.S. economy rebounded from the brief but sharp pandemic recession.

The Fed has cut its benchmark rate at its last two meetings in response to receding inflation, which has fallen close to the U.S. central bank’s 2% target.

Earlier this week, the government reported that U.S. job openings rebounded to 7.7 million in October from a 3 1/2 year low of 7.4 million in September, a sign that businesses are still seeking workers even though hiring has cooled.

In October, U.S. employers added a paltry 12,000 jobs, a total that economists say was crimped by the effects of strikes and hurricanes that left many workers temporarily off payrolls.

Analysts forecast that the government will report on Friday that U.S. employers added 215,000 jobs in November, a healthy figure more in line with recent months.

A help wanted sign is displayed at a restaurant in Chicago, Ill., Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)