Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - When the Buffalo Sabres opened the 2024-25 season in Prague, Czechia, forward Peyton Krebs was a healthy scratch. It was an injury to winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel that put Krebs back in the lineup over the course of the next three games for Buffalo.
While Krebs only got 7:25 of ice-time against the Los Angeles Kings in the home opener this past Thursday, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff went down to three lines against the Florida Panthers on Saturday, where Krebs forced his way into the top-nine forwards and played 14:20.
Krebs, along with Jordan Greenway, combined for a first-period goal Saturday that tied the game at 1-1. It was hard work in the corner by Krebs to find Greenway busting to the net.
Even when he doesn’t get ice-time, Krebs plays the same way.
"It’s something I’ve tried to work on. It hasn’t just come like that," said Krebs following Monday's practice. "For me, I’ve been scratched, and last game I was playing with Tage [Thompson] and ‘Tuchy’ [Alex Tuch], so I just try to play fearless. Because at the end of the day, I want to win, and that’s what it’s going to take to do that. I just try to play for the boys and make the right plays."
With Ruff being the new coach in Buffalo, Krebs had to start from scratch to make an impression. Earning his way into the top-nine on Saturday was certainly a confidence boost.
"I think Lindy knows I play the same way every night: Hard and fearless. It’s definitely nice to be rewarded for that," Krebs said. "I just continue to try to help the team win, and that’s what I try to do every single night. As long as I keep doing that, success will come."
Krebs gets shuffled quite a bit from line-to-line and between center and the wing. He doesn’t care about that at all, as long as he’s playing.
"I can take faceoffs, I can play wing, whatever it takes. I wanna win this year, and I’ll play anywhere or do anything to do that," Krebs said.
While Krebs has only taken 11 faceoffs, to this point, this season, he has been able to come out on top of 54.5% of the draws. He's also been starting more than 52% of his ice-time in the defensive zone.
Buffalo went into the third period Thursday against the Kings, leading 1-0, only to lose by a 3-1 score. Then on Saturday, Buffalo took a 4-1 second-period lead over the Panthers before winning, 5-2.
"We played smart with the lead. We got those goals for a reason," Krebs said. "We played the right way, and we did the right things throughout the third period, and we’ve got to continue that."
After Tuesday's practice, Ruff said that winger JJ Peterka is still improving, and hopes to have him available for Wednesday’s game in Pittsburgh against the Penguins.