Eichel's OT winner caps strong response from Sabres in Calgary

CALGARY - Chad Johnson couldn't help but feel like a victory was finally within reach. With 32.5 seconds remaining in a game that had been tied since the first period, Zemgus Girgensons drew a holding penalty and gave the Buffalo Sabres a shot to defeat the Calgary Flames on a power play, a possibility their goaltender had long awaited.
"I started thinking this could be it," Johnson said. "We could get a win here."
The power play bled into overtime, until - just as the man advantage expired - Jack Eichel slipped to the left circle off a faceoff win and fired a one-time shot past Flames goaltender Mike Smith to clinch a 2-1 win for the Sabres.

Eichel dropped to one knee and unleashed an emotional celebration for an emotional win. On the other side of the ice, Johnson relished a feeling he'd been missing for quite some time. He'd just earned his first victory since Oct. 15, and against his former team in his hometown at that.
"It's an awesome win," Eichel said. "We knew how emotional and how invested he was in this game. We just wanted to play a full 60 and I thought we did a good job."

For Johnson and the rest of the team, the game was a far cry from their 7-1 loss to the Dallas Stars at home on Saturday. Johnson had come on in relief of Robin Lehner in that game only to allow three goals on 13 shots, and Phil Housley criticized his team afterward for their lack of work ethic.
Coming off that "embarrassing" loss, Eichel said the Sabres came to Calgary looking to play desperate. Facing a Flames team that had won seven of its last eight games, they turned in one of their most complete efforts of the season.
"I can't say enough about how we competed, from really the start to the finish," Johnson said. "That's what we've needed. That's what you need to win hockey games. You have to play hard right from the start to the end.
"… I thought tonight we really competed on pucks and we were in shot lanes. The D were battling in front of me. That was a hockey game. It was, I think, the first one I've been a part of this year where it felt like a normal hockey game to be a part of. It was fun to be out there and get the win."

Johnson did his part to earn the win, making 32 saves. The difference from his past starts, Housley said, was that he had help. The Sabres were effective at keeping the Flames to the outside and active on the backcheck coming into their own zone.
"It was really good, the best I've seen in a long time," Housley said. "That's what it takes to win in this league."
The one goal Johnson did allow came with the Flames on the power play in the first period. He had spoken earlierin the day about former teammate Matthew Tkachuk's scoring prowess at the net front, and the young forward validated that sentiment with a high tip of a Johnny Gaudreau shot to give the Flames a 1-0 lead.
Given the way Smith played throughout - he made 31 saves - it may have been essential that the Sabres were able to respond as quickly as they did. It came off the stick of Scott Wilson, playing his first game since being promoted to a top-six role alongside Ryan O'Reilly and Sam Reinhart.
Wilson was the benefactor of a Flames turnover in their own zone and quickly beat Smith from the slot. The goal came just 36 seconds after Tkachuk's and - like the rest of the Sabres' success throughout the night - was the product of hard work, in this instance on the forecheck.

"That was huge," defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen said. "They made a pretty nice play on the power play and that was a tough one, but good answer. That's what good teams do."
From that point on, the Sabres went toe-to-toe with the Flames as the goaltenders kept the game to a 1-1 tie. The line of Zemgus Girgensons, Eichel and Kyle Okposo was particularly active when it came to extending possession on the forecheck and generating offensive looks.
On two occasions, that forechecking led to penalties drawn by Girgensons, the latter of which set up Eichel's overtime winner. The goal - which came on a quick feed from Ristolainen - extended Eichel's personal point streak to six games, during which he's tallied 10 points.
More importantly, though, it capped off an impressive response from a team that was clearly frustrated with the way their last game had gone. Ristolainen was blunt afterward, saying the Sabres "should never get outworked" and that their effort needs to resemble this game on a nightly basis.
When they do play that way, they believe they're capable of beating anyone.
"I think, if the guys make a choice and compete and play for each other, we're a really good hockey team," Housley said. "We've shown it in the past. We have to get more consistent. We have to get ready for another tough game against Edmonton, who's been waiting since Saturday. We're going to enjoy this but we've got to refocus and we've got to continue to play the way we did tonight."

Beaulieu leaves with injury

Nathan Beaulieu returned Monday from a three-game absence due to an illness, already the third time his season had been interrupted either by illness or by injury. That streak of poor luck continued when the defenseman left the game after a fight with Flames forward Curtis Lazar just 3:11 into the first period.
Beaulieu immediately challenged Lazar after the Calgary forward tripped him up behind the Buffalo net.
"You watch it, he's just sticking up for himself," Housley said. "I thought the hit was questionable but that will be reevaluated tomorrow."
With the Sabres forced to play with five defensemen for virtually the entire night, Ristolainen led all skaters with 32:26 of ice time, including 4:02 on the penalty kill. Ristolainen has now eclipsed the 30-minute mark three times this season.

Up next

The Sabres continue their road trip with a game against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. Coverage on MSG-B begins at 8:30 p.m., or you can listen live on WGR 550. Puck drop is slated for just after 9.