And then, on the same shift, a play like this:
"I just tried to turn it up because I knew it wasn't good enough and I knew I didn't want to let my teammates down," Okposo said. "I didn't want to let the guys down."
Okposo's play in Pittsburgh was a microcosm of a greater sense of accountability that has translated to a 13-6-2 start for the Sabres, including wins in their last six games. Five of those victories have required third-period comebacks, a testament to both mental fortitude and improved conditioning.
To understand how far the Sabres have come, consider this quote from general manager Jason Botterill's end-of-season press conference in April, following a season in which they went 11-10-12 in one-goal games:
"To me in those tight situations, those tight games, we did not have a lot of confidence," Botterill said. "Someone can always say, 'Oh, once you win a few of those games, you'll build confidence as a group.' But it's hard finding a way to win those games. That's what we need to improve on.
"We need to improve our habits. They don't come natural to us right now. What I mean by that is practice days, our intensity in practice, taking care of ourselves, communication with coaches and players. We have to do more of that so when we get in those situations and those tight games, we have more confidence to find a way to win."
Their record in one-goal games so far this season: 7-0-2.
So, what's changed? Jack Eichel cited the team's willingness to play for each other following his overtime goal against the Penguins, something Okposo alluded to again on Tuesday. It began with leadership exercises, which brought the team closer together in the summer.
Adverse situations often caused the Sabres to deviate from their game plan last season. Now, players take pride in doing the little things right, be it getting the puck deep upon entry or breaking out as a five-man unit. They play the same way regardless of the score.
"We knew that there needed to be a lot of changes that needed to be made and, to a man, everybody's bought into that and everybody is on the same page," Okposo said. "Now we're starting to see some growth as a group that can have the makings of something pretty special, but we're just trying to take it a day at a time and really enjoying each other."
Sam Reinhart agreed that while the Sabres have always considered themselves a tight-knit group, this season has been different.
"It's tough to put into words or anything," he said. "It's just a feel that, like I said, from the time before training camp everyone kind of went out of their way to come in early. For the guys that have been here for a couple years, it's nothing new to come into a locker room for us and have about 10 new faces.
"But this year, it certainly felt different. Our team feels close from top to bottom, closer than it ever has. That's certainly something that drives the locker room, the belief and the passion we have for one another. … That's something that I don't see changing any time soon."
Playing for each other helps explain Buffalo's resiliency as of late, but there's also an endurance aspect to the team's ability to erase three third-period deficits on the road in four nights. The Sabres outshot their opponents by a combined margin of 37-23 in their last three third periods.
Desperation is part of it, but so is the foundation they've laid during practices.
"I think guys made a big commitment during the summer," Sabres coach Phil Housley said. "That was part of our change, is our conditioning. It needed to be better. We had systems in place, so we really focused on having a tough training camp.
"I think that's helped us throughout these games where we've come back. Also, our practices, they're at a much higher pace. … I feel that when it's called upon on a tough work day, [after] having a day off, they've come to work and approached it the right way."
"Our practices as a whole have been a lot sharper, a lot crisper," Okposo added. "Guys have really bought into working hard in practice and then it becomes second nature in a game. That's just what you do, that's not really a negotiable thing. Hard work is something that translates, for sure."
The Sabres aren't comfortable. Housley, Okposo, Reinhart and Zach Bogosian all stressed the need to improve their starts moving forward when they spoke on Tuesday.
At the same time, they'll carry a six-game winning streak into their home game against Philadelphia on Wednesday. You can bet they're going to enjoy it.
"There's some guys who haven't been here for everything and don't have the scars, and there's other guys that have," Okposo said. "I think the guys who know what we've been through the last couple years ... they really appreciate this and the amount of effort and amount of work that it takes to do this.
"I think we're just scratching the surface. I've talked about it all year, there's a process to this and we're still going through that process. We still have a lot to learn. But we're definitely taking some time to enjoy this, for sure."
