Sidney Crosby and Lars Eller scored for the Penguins (9-10-0). Nedeljkovic made 31 saves.
“I think we probably should have been a bit better at possessing the puck [in the third period],” Crosby said. “I thought we didn’t get a lot of zone time and allowed them to come back at us. Even with that, we had our looks to extend the lead and didn’t do that.”
Skinner started the Sabres comeback, cutting it to 2-1 on the power play at 5:13 of the third. He took a pass from Tuch and scored glove side from in from the inner edge of the right circle. The goal ended Nedeljkovic’s shutout streak at 111:22.
Okposo’s shot from the bottom of the left circle deflected in off the stick of Pittsburgh defenseman Erik Karlsson to tie it 2-2 at 10:52. It was Okposo's first goal of the season.
“[Okposo] said some things [during the second intermission] that I think everyone wanted to run through a brick wall after he spoke,” Tuch said. “He’s the type of guy that, it doesn’t matter what he says, everyone in here is going to listen. He leads by example, has a big goal for us. It doesn’t matter whether he scored that goal or not, he was doing all the little things and he was working his [behind] off out there and that’s what he’s been doing.
“Obviously it’s tough when you’re going through a goal drought like he has this season, but it just shows how resilient he is and our group is and, like I said, he leads by example and he’s the ultimate leader, ultimate teammate. It was really good to see him get one.”
Crosby put Pittsburgh ahead 1-0 at 16:46 of the first period. Jake Guentzel intercepted a pass attempt by Buffalo defenseman Mattias Samuelsson and sent the puck to Crosby for a one-timer from the high slot.
Eller made it 2-0 at 16:44 of the second period. After Rasmus Dahlin fanned on a pass, Matt Nieto was there to collect the loose puck and send it to Eller uncovered in the left circle.
“There’s no excuse that we let in one on the [penalty kill], which has been really good for us,” Karlsson said. “That’s something that obviously we have to be conscious of moving forward here. We’re still up 2-1 in the game. We shouldn’t really feel any other feelings than we did going into the third, which was feeling pretty good about ourselves. It deflated us a bit, which it’s on us not to let that happen.”
NOTES: Buffalo forward Zemgus Girgensons left the game midway through the second period with a lower-body injury. That left the Sabres with 10 forwards for the rest of the game, after starting with 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Coach Don Granato did not have an update after the game on Girgensons or forward Jordan Greenway, who was scratched with an undisclosed injury. He said he expects the Sabres to make a recall from Rochester of the American Hockey League ahead of their game Saturday at the New Jersey Devils. … Crosby has 82 points (28 goals, 54 assists) in 58 games against the Sabres, an average of 1.41 per game, which is second in NHL history (minimum 50 games) behind Wayne Gretzky (1.51). … Crosby extended his road goal streak to five games. …. Dahlin’s assist on Okposo’s goal was his 200th in the NHL. It came in his 375th game, making him the second-fastest Sabres defenseman to reach the mark after Phil Housley, who did so in 315 games. … The win was Buffalo’s first when trailing by multiple goals in the third period since Nov, 2, 2022, also against Pittsburgh (trailed 3-1, won 6-3).
