Okposo, Sheary believe they can build off performance vs. Coyotes

Kyle Okposo barreled into Los Angeles Kings defenseman Derek Forbort in the corner and knocked the puck along the boards to Rasmus Dahlin, pinching down along the half wall. He went to the net-front on a shot attempt from Casey Mittelstadt, then won another battle with Forbort in the opposite corner.
As Okposo drove to the net, Forbort was called for hooking. Jack Eichel scored seven seconds into the ensuing power play, sparking the Sabres come-from-behind victory over the Kings on Tuesday.
It all started with that shift from Okposo, Mittelstadt and Conor Sheary, who brought that same intensity into their game against the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday.

"I think it carried over," Okposo said. "Phil challenged us between the second and third [against Los Angeles], just to get back to work. It's something that had been slipping a little bit."
The trio was active from the opening puck drop against the Coyotes, and it paid off with Mittelstadt's goal 48 seconds into the contest. It was Sheary's work backtracking into the neutral zone that created the chance, allowing him to intercept a breakout pass and feed his young centerman for a wide-open shot.

Afterward, Mittelstadt said he thought his line could have scored more. Okposo echoed that sentiment after practice on Friday.
"I liked the way our line played," he said. "We could have had three or four, easily. We just have to keep attacking the game and keep the offensive momentum going."
The trio finished the first period with the highest Corsi-for percentage among the Sabres' forward lines, according to NaturalStatTrick.com, and finished with seven scoring chances for and just three against. All three players showed a willingness to go to the net and complemented each other with their work on the forecheck.
When Okposo uses his big frame to win battles in the corners and around the net, Sheary acts as a water bug zipping around the offensive zone ready to collect loose pucks.
"He's really good on the forecheck," Sheary said of Okposo. "He's obviously a strong player so when he gets in the battle, a lot of times he'll win that battle. And when he gets the contact first, I think a lot of times he creates turnovers.
"I'm not going to be the guy that's going to shove people around like he is, but if I can get in there quick and pull those pucks out that he turns over, it can really work. I think last night we did a good job of that."
Mittelstadt, meanwhile, can speed by defenders as the first man in, winning races to the corners and creating opportunities for his linemates.
Okposo and Sheary both expressed confidence that points will come if they maintain that same effort moving forward.
"Yeah, for sure," Okposo said. "Casey's produced at every level he's played at. I've had some production in this league and Shears has too. If we continue to play like that, they're going to go in. We just have to be hungry around the net and make sure we're bearing down on all our chances."
"We definitely needed a little confidence with our line," Sheary added. "We hadn't scored in a couple games. I think we've put a lot of pressure on ourselves to contribute offensively to our team and help our team win. I think last night hopefully we broke through a bit with a big game."

Friday's practice

Marco Scandella practiced with the team for the third time and could return to the lineup on the team's road trip in Washington and Boston this weekend. The defenseman has missed the last eight games with an upper-body injury.
"Marco's looking great," Housley said. "He had another good day of practice. We'll talk to trainers and we'll evaluate that tomorrow."
Defensemen Zach Bogosian, Lawrence Pilut and Rasmus Ristolainen all took maintenance days, leaving forward Remi Elie and assistant coach Chris Hajt to fill in as a third defense pair at practice. All three players are expected to play in Washington on Saturday.
Here's how the Sabres lined up:
53 Jeff Skinner - 9 Jack Eichel - 23 Sam Reinhart
43 Conor Sheary - 37 Casey Mittelstadt - 21 Kyle Okposo
72 Tage Thompson - 17 Vladimir Sobotka - 29 Jason Pominville
71 Evan Rodrigues - 22 Johan Larsson - 28 Zemgus Girgensons
26 Rasmus Dahlin - 5 Matt Tennyson
6 Marco Scandella - 82 Nathan Beaulieu
81 Remi Elite\
\Extra forward skating on defense