Postgame Report | Lyubushkin becomes unlikely hero in 6-5 overtime win

TAMPA -Don Granato encapsulated one of the wildest games of the Buffalo Sabres' season as he approached the media for his postgame interview inside Amalie Arena.
"Don't ask me who scored other than Boosh," Granato deadpanned to reporters.
The Sabres' 6-5 overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning overflowed with storylines. There was the big-picture angle: a statement response on the heels of a disappointing loss to Toronto. There was the third-period comeback by the Lightning, which conjured memories of prior meetings. Tage Thompson even scored a hat trick, establishing a new career high for goals in the process.
But make no mistake: This was the Ilya Lyubushkin game. The hardnosed, defensive defenseman scored his first goal as a member of the Sabres on a shorthanded breakaway 1:41 into overtime, providing the final twist in a back-and-forth win against an opponent that had only lost one home game since December 6.

Granato watched Lyubushkin strip the puck from Steven Stamkos in the Buffalo zone and couldn't help but feel that the game was about to end. Lyubushkin saw open ice and skated as fast he could, unleashing a high wrist shot as he reached the top of the right faceoff circle.
Lyubushkin entered Thursday with three goals in 252 NHL games. He was shooting on Andrei Vasilevskiy, a Vezina Trophy winner. Still, Granato knew.
"It's just too good to be true," Granato said. "Here's a guy who is loved by his teammates the way he is, brings so much positive energy, and he's got a role and a big part of his role is that penalty kill, being ready to block a shot from the shooters that they have.
"Lo and behold, he's in that situation and you just felt, 'This thing's going in. It's going to find a way to go in.'"

The Sabres mobbed Lyubushkin along the glass, emblematic of the dual thrill they felt for a victory that was hard-fought and for a teammate whose milestone was well-earned.
Lyubushkin joined the Sabres on a two-year deal during the summer and brought a reputation as a physical defenseman and a strong penalty killer. A lower-body injury stemming from a blocked shot forced him to miss time early in the season and play through pain upon his return to the lineup.
Granato praised Lyubushkin earlier this week for how his play has improved as he's returned to health, including recent glimmers of offensive potential. (He had three assists in a victory over Anaheim in January.) But Lyubushkin's demeanor has been consistent since the day he arrived in Buffalo: always smiling and friendly off the ice, competitive and fierce on it.
"He's just a good guy," Thompson said. "He's a guy that comes to the rink every day, works hard, competes for his teammates. He'll do anything for anyone in this room. For him to get rewarded is a great feeling for everyone in this room."
Added Rasmus Dahlin: "He works so hard. He always has a smile on his face. He's such a great guy. Whenever he succeeds, everyone is super happy for him."
Lyubushkin, meanwhile, was happier for what the goal meant. The Sabres pulled within two points of the second Wild Card spot, with a chance to jump into playoff position with a regulation win over the Florida Panthers on Friday.

"I feel nice for my team," Lyubushkin said. "… We're trying to push to the playoffs right now and it's so important for us.
"Good vibes here," he added. "It's a joy to play hockey here."
Now, more from a thriller in Tampa.

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How it happened

PERIOD 1
The Sabres had a strong response after Steven Stamkos roofed a shot on an odd-man rush to put the Lightning on the board just 2:19 into the contest.
Girgensons battled in front of the Lightning net and had a Dahlin shot deflect in off his skate to erase the deficit at 11:41. The two teams entered the first intermission tied both on the scoreboard and in shot attempts (14-14), though the Lightning held a 9-3 lead in shots on goal.

PERIOD 2
Dahlin delivered a hard hit on Corey Perry behind the Buffalo net, which initiated a sequence of four goals in a span of 3:49 - three for the Sabres, one for the Lightning.
Nick Paul tracked Dahlin to the neutral zone after the hit on Perry and cross-checked the defenseman from behind, sending the Sabres to their second power play of the night.
Dahlin delivered another big hit - this time sending Brandon Hagel to the ice to kill a Lightning rush - before delivering the pass that sent Jeff Skinner and Thompson on an odd-man rush for the Sabres' second goal.

Skinner delivered the stretch pass that sent Thompson in on a breakaway for his second goal.

Victor Hedman responded for the Lightning just 16 seconds after Thompson scored on the breakaway. Jack Quinn answered for the Sabres 49 seconds after that, sending a shot between the pads of Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy as Hedman's goal was being announced to the crowd.

The Sabres finished the period with a 13-10 edge in shots.
PERIOD 3
The hectic pace continued into the third, which saw the two teams traded three goals in a span of 2:45. Brayden Point struck first for the Lightning at 5:48. Thompson completed his hat trick with a breakaway goal 30 seconds later, only for Anthony Cirelli to then bury a rebound to make it 5-4.

Tampa tied the game with 5:06 remaining when Ross Colton's scored on a slap shot on the power play.
OVERTIME
Buffalo opened the extra period on the penalty kill as Henri Jokiharju was called for delay of game with 8 seconds remaining in regulation. Steven Stamkos hit the post on a one-time opportunity during Tampa's first possession of overtime.
Lyubushkin stripped Stamkos of the puck between Buffalo's faceoff circles with 3:20 remaining and broke loose for a breakaway. He buried a quick shot glove side to win the game.

What we learned

1. The Sabres find themselves two points out of a playoff spot with the overtime win. They can take over the second Wild Card berth with a regulation win over Florida tomorrow.

Detroit, who defeated the Rangers 4-1 on Thursday, move into the second Wild Card spot. The Penguins fell to the Oilers 7-2 and the Capitals lost to the Ducks 4-2.
| Team | GP | Points | Points % | RW | ROW | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | WC1 - New York Islanders | 61 | 67 | .549 | 26 | 30 | | WC2 - Detroit Red Wings | 57 | 64 | .561 | 22 | 26 | | Florida Panthers | 60 | 64 | .533 | 25 | 27 | | Pittsburgh Penguins | 57 | 63 | .553 | 22 | 26 | | Buffalo Sabres | 56 | 62 | .554 | 21 | 28 | | Washington Capitals | 60 | 62 | .517 | 22 | 27 | | Ottawa Senators | 56 | 58 | .518 | 20 | 25 |
2.Granato said Thursday morning that he expected the Sabres to be sharper and more competitive than they were against the Maple Leafs on Tuesday. The demeanor of his players gave him confidence when Stamkos opened the scoring and later when the Lightning erased the Sabres' third-period lead, just as they had done in two prior meetings this season.
"It never felt like there was any reason to doubt our guys," Granato said. "The conviction they played with was there."
3.Dahlin was asked about the response to the Maple Leafs game.
"This was a very important game for us coming off the Toronto loss," he said. "We had a great meeting yesterday. I feel like everyone did their job today, worked really hard. This is how we have to play. This is a good game to bring with us because we know we can play against the best and compete night in and night out. It was a great game for us."

4.Dahlin was on the ice for the Lightning's first goal and made it a point to get it back. His physicality on defense paved the way for Thompson's power-play goal in the second period.
Dahlin finished the night with two assists, five shot attempts, and six hits in 27:03.
"That's the full package," Granato said. "He kills plays and he kills plays fast. He does that and I don't know if there's another defenseman in the league who has the hockey sense to read and kill plays and, beyond that, transition plays and make the right plays in the offensive zone. He's a very special player defensively. He doesn't get credit for that."
5.Dahlin, Thompson, and Skinner all extended their point streaks to four games.
6. Dahlin increased his season point total to 62, the most by a defenseman through the first 60 games of a season in Sabres history.

Up next

The Sabres conclude the back-to-back set in Florida against the Panthers on Friday. Coverage on MSG begins at 6:30 p.m. The puck drops at 7 on MSG and WGR 550.