'He was amazing' | Dahlin dominates in Sabres' OT win over Canucks

VANCOUVER - Cody Eakin channeled his inner Rick Jeanneret, dropping a line fit for a Dominator once Rasmus Dahlin walked out of the interview room inside Rogers Arena.
"We are not worthy!" Eakin shouted, a playful but fitting poke at the Sabres defenseman following an effort that can only be described as dominant.
Dahlin put the finishing touches on said performance when he beat his man to the slot and sent a shot between the pads of goaltender Thatcher Demko in overtime, clinching a 3-2 victory for the Sabres over the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday.

"It's one of those games where he does stuff that no one else can, I guess," his close friend Casey Mittelstadt said afterward. "It's just fun to sit there and watch him do it."
Sabres coach Don Granato joked to the team postgame that Dahlin should have scored sooner. The defenseman seemed to have the puck on his stick in the offensive zone for much of the 22:50 he skated, during which the Sabres earned a 24-14 edge in shot attempts.
He weaved his way down low into the offensive zone often, including on the play where he retrieved a loose puck behind the Vancouver net and set up a Jeff Skinner goal in front. He connected on no-look stretch passes. His breakouts were as creative and carefree as ever.
"I was kind of feeling it today, to be honest," he said. "I'm just happy we got the win. It was a hell of a game from us. We battled through the whole 60 and a little bit more. That one felt really good."

Even when Dahlin was penalized for cross-checking J.T. Miller during the final minute of the first period, Granato found himself impressed with the defenseman's physicality.
"Anybody that had any doubts of Rasmus Dahlin … just watch that game tonight," Granato said. "He was amazing."
It was yet another picture of the complete game Dahlin is developing in his fourth NHL season, his first as a top-pair defenseman. His ability with the puck on his stick was apparent from the moment he stepped into the league as an 18-year-old, back when he roomed with his fellow rookie Mittelstadt.
These days, he's applying that level of brilliance all over the ice.
"I think he's taken a step all over the rink," Mittelstadt said. "He starts to own our end and the offensive zone. The physicality in his game especially against the other team's top line has been just huge for us. Him and Joki have anchored us back there and obviously you can see the things he does with the puck. But I think what he's doing defensively and with his stick and gaps is crazy."
The Sabres are maturing with him. They have won four of their last five games dating back to their emotional home win over the Vegas Golden Knights and former captain Jack Eichel on March 10. They took two out of three contests on their Western Canada road trip.
Granato remarked after their win in Calgary how players seemed unphased by a 0-0 score against a Stanley Cup contender. They held the same poise against the Canucks, who twice erased one-goal deficits and made a heavy push at points during the third period. Craig Anderson did his share in a 30-save performance.

"I loved the way our guys fought through," Granato said. "They stayed very focused and determined."
Dahlin could only smile when considering what the trip meant. The young Sabres are playing their best hockey of the season in late March, with 19 games left to grow after Monday's trade deadline.
"You can really see we're in every game," Dahlin said. "We have close games against the best teams in the league. It's great for us. It gives us a boost and now we can really start to become a really good hockey team."

Mittelstadt opens the scoring

Mittelstadt burst into the slot following a quick counter pass from Victor Olofsson and put the Sabres on the board just 1:50 into the contest.
It was the third goal of the season for Mittelstadt, who has been limited to 21 games due to an upper-body injury that sidelined him for three different stretches.
"It's been a bit of a tough stretch for me, but just trying to get back into it a little bit," he said. "Yeah, for sure it felt good."

Up next

The Sabres return home to host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday. Tickets are available here.
The game will be nationally televised on TNT. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m.