In Buffalo, Tage Thompson hit for a double in regulation on Wednesday, and was credited whit the deciding goal in the skills competition to help the Sabres to a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“We were definitely deserving of a win there,” Thompson said. “I think, obviously, the results, they usually take care of themselves. Sometimes you’re not going to get the results at the end of the game, but regardless of that, I think we can all look each other in the eyes and say that we gave it our all. I think we deserved it and we came out on top, so it was good.”
Craig Anderson made 23 saves in the Sabres win.
“We’re playing much better than we were earlier in the year,” Buffalo coach Don Granato said. “But absolutely, the psyche component didn’t affect us like it would’ve a couple months ago, and we went right back to execution. Our execution’s been really good. There was a little bit of a period, a sequence in the second period where I thought we lost a little, there was a little swing in momentum, but it was only a couple shifts and we got right back to our game. …
“We talked about that this morning, the ability for us to play our game and dictate the pace and sort of make them play our game. They were as you would expect. They were very, very efficient and good on the power play [2-for-2] and we weren’t quite as good on the penalty kill.”
Kris Letang forced extra time and the skills portion of the evening’s affair with a late goal in the third stanza.
“We battled hard in the third to get that point,” Letang said. “I think it was important to get it, especially with the race that we’re in right now for home ice, and at the top [of the Metropolitan Division] it’s pretty tight. It wasn’t our best, that’s for sure.”
Buffalo improved to 23-33-8 with their third straight win.
“They played a good up-tempo game and made it tough for us to get any sustained offense against them,” the Penguins’ Mike Matheson said. “I think that was it really, we didn’t really generate a lot of time in their zone. Seemed like we were in our zone a lot throughout the game. That’s never an easy way to win games.”
Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin also scored for the Penguins.
The Penguins dropped to 39-16-10.
Zemgus Girgensons added a single marker for the Sabres in the win.
“Obviously they’re a good team, but as soon as you back off and give them time and space they’re going to make plays,” Thompson said. “I think after that Edmonton [Oilers] game [a 6-1 loss Thursday], I think we kind of went into that game a little bit too, maybe, starstruck, gave their good players too much time to make plays. I think after that we’ve kind of had a focus on it doesn’t matter what team we’re playing. We’re going to go after them, be aggressive and hunt down pucks. I think tonight we took time and space away from their good players and they weren’t able to create much out there.”
Casey DeSmith made 30 saves in the Pens loss.
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