Sabres' work ethic translates into 3rd-period comeback vs. Kings

The highlights will show Jeff Skinner burying a rebound in overtime.
They'll show Jack Eichel scoring on a power play to begin the third period and Lawrence Pilut waiting until the perfect moment before shooting from the point, allowing Johan Larsson to deflect the tying goal into the net.
But the plays that truly defined the Buffalo Sabres' come-from-behind, 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings at KeyBank Center on Tuesday were the ones you won't see on SportsCenter.

They were Kyle Okposo's workmanlike shift to begin the third, drawing the penalty to set up Eichel's goal. They were Zemgus Girgensons racing to beat out an icing and Eichel battling like the season depended on it in the final seconds of regulation, drawing another penalty in the process.
The Sabres erased a two-goal deficit in the third period and snapped a five-game winless streak because they outworked the Kings down the stretch and let the rest fall into place.
"I think in the third we just committed to putting the puck in their end and just trying to wear them down," Eichel said. "You see it, we draw a couple penalties, our power play is able to score a few goals. I thought we just wore them down."

The Sabres trailed 3-1 entering the second intermission. They were outshot 14-9 in the second period and in danger of dropping a sixth-straight game to team that had lost five of its last seven contests, including one in Detroit 24 hours earlier.
But they also saw an opportunity against an opponent that was down two defensemen after injuries to Drew Doughty and Dion Phaneuf. They committed to playing the same style that defined so many comebacks earlier this season, one that had disappeared in a 6-2 loss to Philadelphia on Saturday.
They worked their way up the ice as a five-man unit and focused on forcing the Kings to expend their energy in the defensive zone. When they got shooting opportunities, they had bodies clogging the net-front, making life difficult for rookie goaltender Cal Petersen.
"I think when the guys dug in and found a way to win it's because of their work, especially in the third period," Sabres coach Phil Housley said. "We were moving our feet. our transition game was really solid, clean and crisp."
"The more times you make them go back and try and break a puck out, I think that's the biggest thing," Eichel added. "They're obviously getting tired. I think that's what we did. The more times you cycle on them, you're cutting back, you're extending shifts in their end, you're making them play defense.
"That's what wears them down. I don't think we did a great job of that in the first two periods, but we were able to do it in the third there. I think that's what starts our game."
With that work ethic came the confidence that was so apparent during their 10-game winning streak in November. The Sabres had embraced a shot mentality through six power plays to begin the third period, to no avail. They finally broke through seven seconds into their seventh try on a high shot from Eichel.

"The power-play goal was huge for us," Housley said. "... They finally cashed in and stayed with it, so it's a credit to them."
After their net-front work paid off in the form of Larsson's goal with 12:37 remaining, the Sabres let saw another unsuccessful power play expire in the final minute of regulation. Eichel remained on the ice and fought his way through Kings defenseman Derek Forbort in the corner, drawing a holding call to give the Sabres a man advantage at the start of overtime.
"I think that shows what kind of team we are and how we've got to play," Larsson said. "We've got to be hard to play against down there and I think we're good at it. It just shows."

It set up for a familiar ending. Rasmus Ristolainen got his stick on the rebound of an Eichel shot on the power play in overtime, sending the puck off Petersen's pad and across the crease. Skinner was there to bury the overtime winner, as he'd done twice already this season.
Girgensons also scored for the Sabres, tying the game at 1-1 in the first period, while Linus Ullmark made 26 saves in net.

Afterward, the Sabres' captain was thankful for the two points but just as focused on the areas they still need to address. The Sabres host Arizona on Thursday, then leave for back-to-back games in Washington and Boston on Saturday and Sunday.
"We've got a tough stretch coming up here," Eichel said. "Arizona's playing some good hockey and then you've got a back-to-back against two of the top teams in the East. We've just got to start playing a better 60 minutes.
"We can learn from that third period and what makes our team successful and why we're good. I think there's some things to be learned but it's good to get two points, because we needed it."

Sabre-metrics

• Eichel tallied a goal and an assist for his 15th multi-point outing of the season, tying Colorado's Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon for the NHL lead. He also set a new career-high with 25:57 of ice time and extended his goal streak to three games (5+1).

• Sam Reinhart assisted on Eichel's goal, extending his career-best point streak to seven games (5+5).

• Skinner's third overtime goal of the season tied Detroit's Dylan Larkin for the NHL lead. He only scored two overtime goals in eight seasons with Carolina.

Up next

The Sabres conclude their four-game homestand against the Coyotes on Thursday. Coverage on MSG-B begins at 6:30 p.m. with the GMC Game Night pregame show, or you can listen live on WGR 550. The puck drops at 7.