Sabres turn in complete effort in win over Coyotes

Following their come-from-behind victory on Tuesday night, Jack Eichel called for the Buffalo Sabres to start churning out more complete efforts. Forty-eight hours passed, and they got one.
The Sabres dictated all three periods and translated their defensive efforts into secondary scoring in a 3-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday, their second straight victory.
"We played a really good, solid 60 minutes," Sabres coach Phil Housley said. "Up and down our lineup, everybody contributed."

Casey Mittelstadt opened the scoring 48 seconds into the contest. Jeff Skinner added to the lead with his team-high 22nd goal later in the period and Evan Rodrigues scored to provide extra cushion in the third.
Carter Hutton stopped 25 shots in his first start since Dec. 3, allowing the lone Coyotes goal to Christian Fischer in the first period.
The game was a stark contrast to the Sabres' loss to Philadelphia on Saturday, which followed a similar pattern at the start: a quick 2-0 lead for Buffalo, following by an even quicker response from their opponent. The Sabres went on to deviate from their game plan in that contest and felt it showed in the outcome.
This time they stuck to what worked, even when Fischer scored to bring the Coyotes within one a mere 25 seconds after Skinner had given the Sabres a two-goal lead, . They managed their way through the second period and then pounced in the third, outshooting the Coyotes 11-6.
"It was a tight game," Housley said. "You never know which way the direction of the game's going to go, but I thought our guys took the onus and the responsibility of just managing the game the right way. As a result, we were able to lock a 2-1 lead after two periods. It's a credit to them."
It's no coincidence that sticking to their game has coincided with the return of secondary scoring, just as it did in the third period against Los Angeles. Mittelstadt entered the game without a goal in his last eight games. Rodrigues hadn't scored in nine.
Mittelstadt's line set the tone with it's forechecking in the first period, just as it did in that comeback against the Kings. A long shift in the Coyotes zone ended with Conor Sheary picking off a pass from Alex Goligoski and dropping the puck to Mittelstadt, who buried it past goalie Darcy Kuemper.

"I think that's kind of how it was all night, especially in the first period," Mittelstadt said. "We came out ready and causing turnovers and moving our feet. I think that's what it comes down to. If we move our feet, cause turnovers, we get to make plays. We did a good job of it tonight, try to build on it."
Rodrigues' goal started in the neutral zone as well, when Zemgus Girgensons poked the puck away from defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson. Goligoski initially stepped up to play the puck but was caught in no man's land once he saw Rodrigues speeding toward him all alone.

"As soon as he got caught in between and he lunged at it and as soon as I saw him stop, I knew I could beat him wide," Rodrigues said. "I was in a great spot so I just let it rip."
After dropping games against Toronto and Philadelphia last week, the Sabres wrapped up their four-game homestand at 2-1-1. They're now 11-3-2 at home, already matching their win total at KeyBank Center from last season.
"I think we are doing a good job preparing for our games at home," Eichel said. "I think we use it to our advantage. And it's important, you should. We should make this a tough place to come in and play and a tough place to came in and beat us.
"It's been important for us and I think guys have really taken advantage of our home. The crowd's been good and it's important."

The top line stays hot

OK, it can't all be about secondary scoring. The line of Skinner, Eichel and Sam Reinhart continued to contribute with a first-period goal, beginning with a heads-up outlet pass from Reinhart that set Eichel and Skinner free for an odd-man rush.
Hjalmarsson committed his attention to Eichel, who carried the puck down the right-wing side. The Sabres captain reached the puck around the defender's stick and delivered a perfect pass to find Skinner alone in the slot.

Reinhart extended his career-best point streak to eight games (5+6). It's the longest streak by a Sabre this season and the third-longest active streak in the NHL.

Hutton's return

Hutton spoke postgame wearing a hoodie from the Tre White Goaltending Academy, which is definitely a real school. Perhaps it was the Buffalo Bills corner back who taught Hutton the stunt he attempted late in the third period.

With the Sabres up two goals and the Coyotes net empty, Hutton fielded the puck behind his own goal line and launched it into the air in an attempt at his first career goal. It might have had a chance, had it not been hit out of the air by defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Hutton said it wasn't the first time he's gone for a goal.
"I've had a couple icings, but that's the best I've ever done," he said. "I had a good line, I think Ekman-Larsson's got to let that one go for everyone's sake. No, he made a good play up there in the air. We got a two-goal lead, I had a good chance at the rim, I kind of had it in my mind to take a chance at it."

Eichel said he was glad to see Hutton take the chance.
"I knew he was going to do it," he said. "He plays the puck so well and he's always messing around. I had a feeling if they rimmed one in he would do it. I would've loved to see him get one. He's been so good for us this year, and again tonight he was awesome made some really big saves at big times for us tonight."
As for that Tre White Goaltending Academy hoodie, they're available for purchase here.

Up next

The Sabres open a set of back-to-back road games on Saturday in Washington. 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.