Top Notes
- According to Elias Sports Bureau, the Sabres and Penguins became the first teams to combine for three goals on the first four shots of the game since BUF and ATL on March 16, 2010.
- With a TOI of 21:04, Tyler Ennis went over the 20-minute mark for the fourth time this season. It was the fifth-most minutes he’s skated in his career and the most in a game decided in regulation time.
- Thomas Vanek scored his league-leading 12th goal of the season. His five power play goals tie for second-most in the NHL.
- With five hits tonight, Steve Ott increased his league-leading total to 64.
Top Quotes
Penguins forward Pascal Dupuis:
On the difficulties of playing against the Sabres: “They have a team that plays really well offensively. They keep coming; they have defensemen that activate all the time and join the play all the time which is a kind of team we can’t turn the puck over against. I think we did a little too much at our blue line and at their blue line in the second, which is why they came out so hard. We stuck with it and came out with a good third (period).”
On the set-up of his second goal: “It was an awesome pass by [Kris Letang] all the way across there and I don’t know how he can even do that and have it end up flat on my blade, but it was an awesome play.
On whether the between-the-legs play on the first goal is something they practice: “(Laughs) No, not at all. I got twisted a little bit and I got lucky and it hit my stick.”
Penguins forward Sidney Crosby:
On his success in Buffalo: “It’s been good and I think that the games are over so fast; you have to prepare yourself to play a fast game. For whatever reason, I’ve always been able to put some pucks up but you know it is great ice here. That’s all I can say.”
On his success against Miller: “I’ve just been able to score. That one today, I think it goes off their defenseman and in. I don’t think I do anything differently here or against Ryan (Miller) than I would against anybody else.”
On the pass by Penguins forward Kris Letang on Pittsburgh’s third goal: “It was a beautiful pass by [Letang]. He’s got a guy all over him there and [Pascal Dupuis] is in the far side of the zone and finds it. It isn’t an area to get a great shot off but the backhand pass through the traffic with a guy on him, especially after they scored, to bounce back like that I think it seemed to give us a boost and from there on in we had some really good chances.”
On scoring first on the road: “I think just making sure we keep it simple from the start. We give ourselves a chance to get our feet under us and hopefully get a chance to get in the offensive zone. I don’t think that we specifically think about scoring, it is just more or less getting in their zone and getting to our game.”
Penguins defenseman Paul Martin:
On their early start and then coming back to win the game: “We came out early and got those two goals, so I think we did well, but they had to answer back. They have a good team and for us to be patient, continue to work and find a way to win in the end is big on the road.”
On the game winning goal: “The puck just found it’s way towards me and I just put it to the net and it went in. I think it maybe went off [Sabres defenseman Christian] Ehrhoff’s hip, I think it moved a little bit when I saw the replay.”
On their 8-2-0 road record: “It’s good; hopefully we can tighten up a little bit at home, but it’s big to come in on the road and be able to play a big road game, not be too fancy, be smart with the puck. If we continue to do that, hopefully it will go the same way.”
On Sidney Crosby’s play: “We have so many guys, but when he’s going, obviously, it makes our team a lot better.”
Buffalo forward Jason Pominville:
On the Sabres’ inability to put away the game in the third period: “Our power play obviously has to be better, and they made some good plays. [Ryan Miller] made some big saves to keep us in there, even when they got the lead by one he made some big saves. I think it’s up to us to be better in our zone.”
On the Sabres’ giveaways: “Giveaways are there, but we’re in the zone still, we can still get the puck out. I don’t think they scored off a rush, they were in our zone, they were cycling. Giveaways will happen in a game you just have to make sure we play well in our zone and at that point we didn’t and they ended up making a play.”
On coming back to take the lead after a tough start: “It was tough, definitely a tough start. I mean, getting down by two against that team, but we managed to stick with it and battle back, and got the lead, and just probably weren’t good enough with the lead, and when the game was on the line our power play didn’t get it done.”
Buffalo forward Cody Hodgson:
On Christian Ehrhoff’s play: “He’s been getting his shots through, and he has a cannon, so it really helps having him back there. He’s real steady and he’s a pleasure to play with.”
On losing after coming back to take the lead: “It’s tough, you know, especially because we did have this game, you know? I thought when we were up one I thought we could really take it to them, we had lots of momentum, it just didn’t end up that way.”
On struggles with the power play: “It’s not exactly your percentage-wise, it’s the time of the game when we needed it, and we just couldn’t get it done on the power play … They’re a real hard working team first of all, they take away the time and the plays that are there when you have time aren’t there when they take them away, so we need to re-adjust, watch some video and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Sabres forward Steve Ott:
On coming back after the slow start: “For sure, you know? We all make mistakes and I think the big thing is the character to come back in that game to make it a game and continue to battle through that 60 (seconds). It’s definitely disappointing losing though. We had that game; we had points. Especially when they’re so valuable come the rest of the year, that’s going to be a key factor.”
On the Sabres’ five-on-three power play: “Huge five-on-three, absolutely. Vanek’s beautiful tip right in his office I guess you could say. I liked the determination of the guys to come back and battle and continue to push, push, push, but at the end of it all, we’d be a lot happier right now with the two points that we deserved.”
On Christian Ehrhoff’s play: “I’m sure the cameras can’t see the contusion on his body, but the blocked shot he had sacrificing himself probably speaks for itself. The rest of his game was phenomenal. Getting shots through, creating chances, those are the big things that we need from him and he was very solid.”
