The fight with Crosby may not have been a moment Krebs would have envisioned for himself as recently as two years ago, but it exemplified the identity he has crafted during his time in a Sabres uniform.
Krebs was less than two years removed from being drafted with the 17th-overall pick when the Sabres acquired him from the Golden Knights in November 2021. He had a reputation as a gifted passer who had enjoyed a productive junior career with Winnipeg of the Western Hockey League.
Krebs has put his playmaking on display during his time in Buffalo, but – on a young team full of offensive talent – has chosen to blend his skill with a tenacious, shutdown mentality. That process accelerated last year, when he settled in on a line centering Zemgus Girgensons and Kyle Okposo.
“I’ve allowed myself to find a role where I want to be the guy that can shut down the top lines, can play PK, can win every faceoff I can,” Krebs said. “I want to be the guy that coach can rely on every shift to get the puck out, have a good stick, go gets some shots on net, put the next line out there.
“And I know I for sure can put up points in this league, but the main goal for me is to continue to get better every day, just keep giving my team an opportunity to win. That’s the goal.”
With Okposo out of the lineup, Granato pointed to the absence of the Krebs line as a missing ingredient in the 7-4 loss to the Penguins. The trio takes the ice on a mission to hunt pucks on the forecheck and tire the opposition so that – if they don’t score themselves – the next line out can benefit.
“Those three guys together, they bring attributes to our team that others need to pick up on,” Granato said. “And they have, and they will more. But that is a very, very important trio for us, especially where we’re at right now.”
Krebs has merged that mindset with a refusal to back down from a battle and a propensity to get under opponents’ skin – even if it’s his childhood idol. Krebs combined with Tyson Jost to send Penguins defenseman Kris Letang to the ice behind the Pittsburgh net on Friday. Crosby followed Krebs to the half wall and delivered a couple of cross-checks before both players dropped their gloves.
Krebs flashed a big smile afterwards as he and Crosby exchanged words from their respective penalty boxes.
“I said, ‘Now we’ve got to sit in here for five minutes,’” Krebs shared. “He said his legs were going to hurt more than mine. I said yeah, he’s a little older so it makes sense.
“I like to play hard and so does he. We’re just trying to do our jobs.”
Here are more notes from Saturday’s practice.
