'It was electric' | Anderson, Tuch help fuel memorable win over Vegas

Don Granato counted Buffalo among his assigned teams to watch during his two years as a pro scout with the Toronto Maple Leafs, a run that coincided with one of the most memorable seasons in Sabres history.
Granato recalls staying behind to catch the end of games after other scouts had departed with a few minutes remaining, soaking in the atmosphere surrounding a group that won the Presidents' Trophy in 2006-07. One of those crowds might have even included a 10-year-old Alex Tuch, then in his heyday of Sabres fandom.
"It was one of my favorite spots to come," Granato said. "It was electric."

There were a whole lot of fans who chose to stay inside KeyBank Center well after the final horn had sounded on a 3-1 win for the Sabres over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday.
A tribute recognizing goaltender Craig Anderson for his 300th NHL victory was the icing on an evening that offered a glimpse of the atmosphere the Sabres are trying to earn on a nightly basis. Jack Eichel's return helped draw a season-high attendance of 12,437, many of whom booed the former Sabres captain at every touch of the puck.
The loudest moment of the night, however, may have been reserved for Tuch, who stole the puck from Eichel at the Buffalo blue line and scored an empty-net goal from a bad angle to ice the victory with 35.9 seconds remaining. Tuch embraced Anderson as his tribute aired on the video board afterward.

"Talk about the boos and stuff like that but honestly, we heard a lot of cheers," Tuch said. "We heard a lot of Buffalo chants. The crowd was on our side, they really were. And it was electric tonight.
"It was a phenomenal feeling and to get a win in front of that big of a crowd is something that really goes a long way. We want to keep feeding off that energy and build momentum and keep that going. So, we hope to see all those all those fans back in the building here soon."
Tuch, a member of the inaugural Golden Knights team that made it to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018, joined the Sabres along with Peyton Krebs in the deal that sent Eichel to Vegas in November. He spent his first months as a Sabre rehabbing from offseason shoulder surgery, time he spent engraining himself in his new community and organization. He spoke about rekindling passion for the franchise he loved growing up in Syracuse.
There is still work to be done in that regard, but Thursday showed evidence of the team's direction. It was the 21-year-old Krebs who opened the scoring against his former team, finding a lane to the net and burying a feed from Vinnie Hinostroza.
"That was exciting," Krebs said. "Me and Tuchy, we're passionate about playing here in Buffalo. We want to do the best we can for this organization. And that felt good giving that guy a hug."

Individuals stepped up from there. Rasmus Asplund and Casey Fitzgerald sustained injuries while blocking a shot and fighting, respectively. John Hayden fought Ben Hutton. Henri Jokiharju, returning from injury, helped lead a 4-for-4 night on the penalty kill. Anderson made 15 saves in the second period.
Hutton finally solved Anderson with a shot that went bar down from the point in the third period. Mattias Samuelsson later laid a hit on Jonathan Marchessault that drew a retaliatory slash, earning the power play on which Victor Olofsson scored the game-winning goal.
"Don gave us a long list in the locker room, and it probably could have went on for another 10 minutes with the sacrifice that guys made tonight," Tuch said. "It really showed and it really gives us a lot of energy to go out and get that win for those for those fans who really wanted it bad, you could tell."

The crowd booed Eichel, but it cheered for those moments - the hits, the fights, the penalty kill. Tuch pointed to the number of people who stayed to celebrate Anderson's milestone as evidence of the same passion that kept Granato in his seat 15 years ago.
"We know that this is a hockey area," Granato said. "That's what excites me about Buffalo. People are passionate about it. We also know we have to earn the fans back here. We have to show them a product and some passion ourselves if we want to feel the passion that we felt tonight.
"Basically what I'm saying is our guys know they have to earn it. You don't earn it once. You earn it every night and every day. We have much, much more to do in that regard. But it's nice to see or feel a night like tonight."

Anderson makes history

Anderson became the 39th goaltender in NHL history to win 300 regular season games, the culmination of a 19-year career that began 0-10-4.
Anderson saluted fans and was surrounded by teammates as a tribute aired after the game. Watch it below.

"It's just it's a great moment to take it and just enjoy it," Anderson said. "You just don't know how the game is going to go. You don't know … what the future holds. But you try to stay in the moment as best you can and take it all in. And that's pretty much what you do in those types of situations."

Up next

The Sabres meet the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Heritage Classic at Tim Horton's Field in Hamilton, Ontario on Sunday. The game will air on TNT beginning at 4 p.m.