The Sabres put together one more resilient effort in the finale, a 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center on Saturday. The Sharks erased three deficits, including two at the beginning of the third period, but Krueger felt his team responded with its best road period to date.
Zemgus Girgensons scored the winning goal with 7:45 remaining in regulation. Marcus Johansson (1+1) and Henri Jokiharju (0+2) each tallied two points, while Casey Mittelstadt and Jeff Skinner added goals. Linus Ullmark made 29 saves.
Goals from Mittelstadt and Johansson gave the Sabres a 2-1 lead entering the third period, which opened with three goals scored in the span of 2:50. Here's a breakdown by time elapsed:
0:44 -With the Sharks on a power play that carried over from the end of the second period, Tomas Hertl deflects a shot by Erik Karlsson in off the body of Rasmus Ristolainen. 2-2.
2:28 -A loose puck bounces through the crease behind Sharks goalie Martin Jones until Skinner finally taps it in for his fifth goal of the season. 3-2, Sabres.
2:50 -Twenty-two seconds after Skinner gave the Sabres a lead, Marcus Sorensen darts across the Buffalo net and deflects a shot by Brent Burns. 3-3.
The Sorensen goal could have been a back breaker. Instead, Krueger saw his team rally on the bench.
"I'm really, really happy with the reaction of the group on the bench and the energy that was there," he said. "Nothing but a thought of trying to win the game. Nobody sat back and thought, Let's take this to overtime.
"It was, Let's get back on our toes, let's get the lead again. There was a lot of emotion. It was a great game for everybody to watch, both sides. I think it was a fantastic hockey game and we look forward to more of those with the Sabres this year."
Johansson, like Krueger, is new to the Sabres this season. Girgensons is one of the team's longest-tenured players. Both had similar comments regarding the response to adversity they saw on the bench in the third period.
"A lot of character in this room," Johansson said. "We don't quit. We didn't panic. Nothing changed. We just kept playing. It was good goals by them but a couple unfortunate bounces and it's going to happen. We stuck with it and kinda got one back there on Skinn's goal. A win is all that matters. … I think this team keeps growing and it's fun to be a part of.
"Everyone stays positive," Girgensons added. "There's not a moment where we think we're going to lose the game. It's been like that throughout all these games this season so far. It's a great thing to see. You have it every season until a certain point. Right now, the guys are really buying in, and the positivity on the bench just makes everyone feed off each other."
The Sabres out-chanced the Sharks, 7-3, at 5-on-5 in the third period, according to NaturalStatTrick.com. On a night when three different lines contributed goals, it was the lunch pail trio of Kyle Okposo, Johan Larsson, and Girgensons who delivered the win.
Okposo began the play as the first man in on the forecheck, forcing a turnover behind the net. Larsson took a shot and created a rebound that Girgensons buried for his first goal of the season.
