'That's how we play' | Sabres stay hot with SO win over Penguins

Tage Thompson felt the Sabres had paid a bit too much respect to the star power of the Oilers during their 6-1 loss in Edmonton last Thursday. They made a point not to let it happen again.
"It doesn't matter what team we're playing," Thompson said. "We're going to go after them, be aggressive, and hunt down pucks."
So, when the Pittsburgh Penguins erased three deficits inside KeyBank Center on Wednesday - with goals from their own three superstars in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang, no less - the Sabres punched right back.

Thompson scored two goals and added another in a shootout, leading the way as the Sabres earned a 4-3 victory over the Penguins to extend their winning streak to three games.

It was the fourth time in five games - the loss in Edmonton being the exception - that the Sabres entered the third period tied. They won on all four occasions.
It all adds up to a young team beginning to find confidence in its execution. The Sabres were 4-5-0 in games that were tied after two periods prior to their current run.
"I think that just probably comes with some of the adversity and challenge I think we probably faced in the beginning of the year," Thompson said. "Earlier in the season we'd probably, you know, be in similar situations like that and maybe fold or let it spiral out of control.
"I think we've done a good job recently of just staying with the game plan no matter what happens with the score. … I think we've been a lot better at being consistent. That's why we're getting results."

The Sabres are 7-3-0 since March began, tied for the NHL lead in wins during that span. Each of those games were against teams that either occupy playoff spots (Toronto, Minnesota, Florida, Los Angeles, Edmonton, Calgary, and Pittsburgh) or are in the thick of the race (Vegas and Vancouver).
Their latest test was a Penguins team that entered with the best road record in the NHL at 21-7-4. The Sabres opened the scoring and went on to outshoot their opponent, 33-26.
But Pittsburgh made its pushes, as it is prone to do. Crosby erased the Sabres' 1-0 lead with a power-play goal in the first period. Malkin answered Zemgus Girgensons' go-ahead goal with a favorable bounce from behind the goal line in the second.
Thompson put the Sabres back ahead early on in the third period, only for Letang to tie the score on the power play yet again with 4:56 remaining in regulation.
"That's why I say I feel our guys earned that win, because we were able to stay on our game," Sabres coach Don Granato said. "We talked about that this morning, the ability for us to play our game and dictate the pace and sort of make them play our game."

The cast of contributors was wide once again. Thompson had his sixth multi-goal outing of the season, upping his team-leading total to 28. Girgensons produced one of his signature forechecks alongside linemate Kyle Okposo on the sequence that led to his goal.
Granato championed the Sabres' young core of defensemen - Rasmus Dahlin, Henri Jokiharju, Mattias Samuelsson, and Jacob Bryson - as leading the way in terms of playing aggressively even when the going got tough.
It's the sort of hockey the Sabres have come to expect out of themselves.
"How impressed am I? I'm not," Granato said. "I mean, that's just the way we need to play. That's how we play. That's it. I'm excited that our guys are sensing it, feeling how good they can be. And again, taking time and space away, playing aggressive."
The schedule is no more forgiving from here on out. The game against Pittsburgh opened a stretch of 15 contests in 26 days for the Sabres. All but four are against teams currently occupying playoff spots.
"We've been playing good hockey here lately," Girgensons. "I think it's strictly because of the work ethic that's been put in. Guys are not getting comfortable with one or two games. So, I look forward to keep working."

Embracing the shootout

Thompson beat goaltender Casey DeSmith to his glove side on the opening attempt of the shootout. Craig Anderson proceeded to stop two Penguins attempts before Alex Tuch clinched the victory off his backhand.

Thompson smirked afterward when asked if he felt confident.
"It's something I like doing," he said. "I don't know, it's fun. It shouldn't be too much pressure. Obviously, there's pressure to score, but that's fine. It's a cool situation to be put in, just try to enjoy it."
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Mr. 300

The Sabres returned home for the first time since March 10, when Anderson became the 39th goaltender in NHL history to earn 300 career wins.
The team honored the goaltender before the game with a gold stick and a framed jersey.

Up next

The Sabres welcome the Washington Capitals to KeyBank Center on Friday. The team will wear their white Heritage Classic jerseys for the only time in Buffalo.
Tickets are available here.
Coverage on MSG begins at 6:30 p.m. The puck drops at 7.