Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – The Buffalo Sabres' 5-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Monday was the third game in-a-row where their compete was high, and they dominated much of the game.
In this one, the line of Eric Robinson, Peyton Krebs and Kyle Okposo had seven points on the night. Robinson and Okposo both had a goal and two assists, while Krebs had a goal.
Robinson and Krebs were also a plus-4, as both were on the ice when Rasmus Dahlin scored his empty-net goal late.
Buffalo had an excellent first period. Despite having to kill off two penalties, the Sabres outshot the Coyotes, 13-5, and had the lead just 2:25 in.
The goal was exactly the way head coach Don Granato would draw it up: Have two guys coming through the neutral zone with speed, and Connor Clifton hit a perfect stretch pass to Okposo. Okposo immediately relayed the puck up to the speedy Robinson, who was stopped by Karel Vejmelka. However, the Sabres captain followed him to the net, and pounded home the puck laying in the crease for his fifth goal in 10 games.
Arizona tied the game early in the second, but just 3:13 later, Robinson crashed the net, along with his linemates, and scored his first goal as a member of the Sabres.
The line, again, got in on the forecheck, and Okposo got the puck in the corner and found Krebs in the left circle for his second goal of the season.
I think you can see the pattern: Get speed in the neutral zone, use that speed to get in on the defense, start forechecking and everyone get to the net.
When one line plays like that, it becomes contagious. But the players aren’t satisfied with three good games. They know they have to continue to play like this if they’re going to get back into the playoff race.
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Since coming back from the Rochester Americans, Devon Levi has played in the last three games, posting a 1.62 goals-against average and a .942 save percentage.
In these three games, Okposo and Clifton have four points, while Robinson has three.
In the last three games, Buffalo has outshot the Boston Bruins, 35-32, the Montreal Canadiens, 48-31 and Arizona, 38-23. That means the Sabres have averaged 40 shots in the last three games.
By going 2-0-1, the Sabres have passed the Pittsburgh Penguins and tied the Canadiens. They are four points out of a playoff spot.
After the game, Granato said the compete has been better, which is why the results are better. He said many of the players put compete ahead of skill, but it sounded like, to me, he still has players that are putting skill ahead of compete. He said that’s when you get into trouble.
It sounds like Alex Tuch could be back Wednesday in Colorado against the Avalanche. Mattias Samuelsson also has a chance to improve enough to play Wednesday.
If Tuch plays, my guess is Brett Murray would go back to Rochester.
Murray played his first game with the Sabres in almost two years. He missed a breakaway, and also had trouble along the wall right before Arizona scored its first goal. Murray played 10:41, was a minus-1, had one shot and three hits.
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