Johansson, Okposo lead Sabres to win over Jets

Ralph Krueger has been one to keep the picture small since taking over as coach of the Buffalo Sabres, but he was well aware of what this weekend meant in terms of the grand scheme of the season.
Following a disappointing loss in Ottawa on Tuesday, Buffalo's back-to-back games against Pittsburgh and Winnipeg - two high-octane offenses in playoff position - would dictate the stakes for the team going into a four-game western road trip.
"It was a weekend where we needed to decide how we were going to go out west: still reaching, or not," Krueger said. "And we are reaching."

The Sabres not only swept the weekend but have now won five of their last six games to move withing six points of third-place Toronto. Kyle Okposo scored a pair of goals and Jonas Johansson made 25 saves to earn his first NHL victory, a 2-1 decision over Winnipeg on Sunday.
Krueger maintained in recent days that his players were keeping the reality of Monday's trade deadline out of the dressing room. Players echoed their coach, saying their focus was on winning games and continuing to chip away in the standings.
If the deadline did have any effect mentally, it didn't show. Two of the team's pending unrestricted free agents, Johan Larsson and Zemgus Girgensons, combined with Okposo to add an offensive punch to the grinding, defensively sound game they've brought all season. They matched up with Winnipeg's top trio of Nikolaj Ehlers, Mark Scheifele, and Blake Wheeler more than any other line and outscored them, 2-0.
Okposo opened the scoring in the first period, pouncing on loose puck after Henri Jokiharju's point shot deflected off Girgensons' foot in front of the Winnipeg net. The veteran later utilized a one-touch pass from Girgensons to roof a shot and break a 1-1 tie with 12:13 remaining in the third.

From that point on, the Sabres shut the door on a Jets offense that ranked fifth in the league in per-game scoring since the start of February. Johansson faced his final shot with 9:24 still on the clock. The Jets couldn't even pull goalie Connor Hellebuyck until less than a minute remained, thanks in part to some characteristically heavy forechecking by the Larsson line.
It was another sign of growth from a team that had turned in one of its best defensive performances in Pittsburgh just 24 hours prior.
"We all spoke about wanting to have meaningful games," Krueger said. "Well, if anybody thought these two games weren't meaningful, they don't get what's going on here. They were extremely meaningful, and the guys are learning how to play meaningful games.
"That's what the goal of the season is, really, as many of these as possible. So, we have to keep it simple, keep it small, and keep focused on the next task. But these two games this weekend certainly meant a lot at this time."
The potential for change to the team's makeup on Monday remains. For now, the players have guaranteed that the group that travels out west Tuesday will have meaningful hockey waiting for it.
"It's fun," Okposo said. "Gotta win games. Gotta win. This is our playoffs right now. I think everybody in this room knows what we have to do big picture, but as long as we keep taking it one game at a time.
"It's fun when you have a game like today, you don't play your best, but you know you need two points and you find a way to get it. Huge testament to all the guys in the room and we're looking forward to playing some meaningful hockey."

Johansson earns win No. 1

Krueger could have stuck with Carter Hutton coming off his 41-save performance in Pittsburgh. The coaching staff ultimately turned to Johansson in part to give the veteran an extended rest leading into the road trip, but also because of their faith in the rookie.
It had been two weeks since Johansson made his last start, a 3-2 loss to Anaheim in which he gave up three first-period goals. He finished that period with a crucial stop on a penalty shot and went a perfect 17-for-17 on save attempts over the final 40 minutes, an impressive response that stuck in the minds of his coaches.
"He really managed that game against Anaheim really well and the lessons of the game," Krueger said. "What we liked about him, I'll tell you the truth, there was no difference between him a half an hour before the game today than a half an hour before the game yesterday or the games he didn't play. He's just a very well-centered individual as a person.
"He knows what he's good at and he works hard in practice. He's been extremely receptive to the coaching in Rochester and now here with Mike Bales and this is not lucky what's happening here. We really feel a pro, a high-level professional, and this was truly an exciting game for him to build on."
Johansson seemed poised from the start against the Jets. He stopped a mini breakaway for Jansen Haskins less than two minutes after Okposo scored to give the Sabres a 1-0 lead. He was crucial for the Sabres during a second period that favored the Jets, including another stop on Haskins from the slot.
"He played stellar in the second period," Okposo said. "We did not have our legs. We weren't really making the right decisions with the puck and he really covered up all of our mistakes. It was such a big game for him. Huge first win for him and a huge win for us."
Johansson's teammates returned the favor with their shutdown effort in the third, ensuring career victory No. 1 for a goalie who waited a long time for his shot on the big stage.
"That's just unbelievable the way they stepped up there for me and for the rest of the team to get the win," Johansson said. "It's a big game for us going into the road trip. Everyone really stepped up in the third and just really happy to be a part of that."

Okposo extends his point streak

The veteran now has points in four straight games, with four goals and an assist in that span. He credited Larsson and Girgensons for his success, while Girgensons referred to Okposo as a role model in the room and a player he personally looks up to.
Krueger, meanwhile, pointed out that Okposo's status for the game was briefly in question following a hit in the first period. He spoke at length about what Okposo and his linemates meant to the Sabres on Sunday and beyond.
"Kyle Okposo has just been such an unbelievable leader," he said. "He's the quiet support system that [captain] Jack [Eichel] needs with the experience and wisdom of not only his years in the National Hockey League but his understanding of Buffalo and what we need to do here and how we need to manage things.
"… He had a little bit of pain off the hit and he just bit down and finished the game and scored the two goals and you're of course pleased because that line in general, Larsson and Girgensons and Okposo, have been playing against some of the best lines in the National Hockey League here of late.
"They give us that defensive stability but the way they're chipping in offensively whether it was that first goal in Pittsburgh or tonight with the two goals, I mean it's just really outstanding for us as a group trying to establish a culture to have leaders like that all three of them just playing the right way. They're doing the right things on the right side of the puck, they're such an example for our young players on and off the ice, so this is really a special game for them."

Up next

The Sabres open a four-game road trip in Colorado on Wednesday. The game can be seen live on NBCSN, with puck drop scheduled for 8 p.m.