Jeff Skinner scores in OT to keep streak alive vs. San Jose.
By Jourdon LaBarber / Sabres.com
BUFFFALO, N.Y. — All throughout the third period on Tuesday night, one request reverberated from the sellout crowd at KeyBank Center.
One, two, three, four five, six, seven, eight, nine … We want 10!
As has often been the case lately, the Buffalo Sabres gave the people what they wanted. After surrendering a two-goal lead in the final 8:31 of regulation, Jeff Skinner sent the building into a frenzy with an overtime goal to clinch Buffalo’s 10th straight win, 3-2 over the San Jose Sharks.
The streak ties a franchise record first achieved in January 1984 and matched to begin the Presidents’ Trophy winning campagin in 2006-07.
Rasmus Ristolainen, one of the longest-tenured Sabres now enjoying his first taste of success with the team, still had the fans on his mind when he spoke postgame.
“I’m really happy for us, but really happy for them,” Ristolainen said. “They’ve been supporting us all these years when I’ve been here. Six years, tough years. And it feels great to see them happy and the building’s been rocking the last few games.”
It’s hard to imagine anyone in the crowd of 19,070 ever had their mind on anything but a postive result. It felt as though the Sabres had done it in every way possible through the first nine games of the streak. They protected leads, erased late deficits, found ways to win three shootouts.
But the Sharks presented a new challenge. Ristolainen and Nathan Beaulieu scored to put the Sabres up 2-0 with 15:46 left to play in regulation, but a pair of goals from Joe Pavelski wiped out their lead. Ristolainen said he never felt his team waver.
“No, I mean last 10 games when it’s a tight game we feel confident,” he said. “If we’re down, we don’t panic. We believe. We have the belief now. We know if we play the way we play usually we’re going to get our chances. We’ve been getting one more goal than the opponent the last few times.”
Rasmus Dahlin folded his hands together in an attempt to describe the team’s camaraderie.
“We are like this right now,” he said. “I don’t know how to describe it. Everyone sticks together. We go out there and it’s a war. Everyone’s does everything they can to win.”
Dahlin set up Skinner’s winning goal in overtime, taking the puck at the half wall with Erik Karlsson, one of his idols growing up in Sweden, hounding him from behind. Dahlin tossed the puck behind his back then raced around Karlsson toward the San Jose net.
Sharks goalie Martin Jones was aggressive in leaving his net to poke the puck away from Dahlin, which left room for Skinner to bury his 19th goal of the season.
“I didn’t see what happened there, I lost sight of it, but Ras made a great play I think going to the net, made their goalie commit,” he said. “I just kind of walked into one that was in the slot.”
The victory propelled the Sabres ahead of their next opponent, Tampa Bay, back into first place in the NHL with 36 points. The standings will remain that way until the two teams meet in Tampa on Thursday.
That game will also present a shot at history for the Sabres, who can set a franchise record with their 11th straight win. Rick Jeanneret deemed the moment worthy of dusting off an old call after the Sabres clinched No. 10, another request from the fans.
“You asked for it, you got it,” he said. “These guys are good … Scary good.”
Pilut recalled
The Sabres announced the team has recalled defenseman Lawrence Pilut from the Rochester Americans.
Pilut (22, 5-foot-11, 187 lbs.) joins the Sabres for his second recall of the season but has yet to appear in a game with the team. He is currently tied for third among all AHL skaters with 22 points (3+19) in his first 16 career AHL games and leads the league with a plus-19 rating.
The Tingsryd, Sweden native signed with the Sabres as a free agent in May following a career year with HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League that culminated in his selection as the 2017-18 SHL Defenseman of the Year.