Dylan Cozens raised his arms and quickly skated over to Victor Olofsson in response to a third-period goal that meant so much more to the Buffalo Sabres than taking the lead Tuesday night in KeyBank Center.
Olofsson's shot from the right-wing circle, the spot in which he's scored many of his goals in the NHL, snapped a 30-game drought for the 26-year-old winger.
Their reactions paled in comparison to that of the Sabres players watching from the bench.
"I hope somebody got video of the whole bench because we were freaking out," said winger Alex Tuch. "It was a huge goal. Not only was it to go ahead, but for Oli to get that was huge for our team, I think."
Olofsson wasn't done there, either.
Henri Jokiharju scored an empty-net goal to add to the lead and Olofsson provided another to complete a 6-3 win over the New York Islanders.
The Sabres (16-24-8) were 2-7-1 in their previous 10 games against the Islanders and won consecutive games for only the second time since October. The goal was Olofsson's first since Halloween, and it gave Buffalo a 4-3 edge with 2:55 remaining in regulation.
"It's been the toughest stretch of my career, for sure," said Olofsson, who had five shots on goal. "I haven't scored in a long time, so it definitely felt good."
For the Sabres, it's a significant step in their quest to develop secondary scoring. Coach Don Granato has found a dynamic first line but more is needed. Putting Olofsson on the right wing with Cozens at center and Peyton Krebs on the left side was a move that paid off.
Almost 11 months since his final game with the Buffalo Sabres, Eichel will finally debut with the Golden Knights on Wednesday night against the Colorado Avalanche in Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena.
Finally close to full strength after a season filled with injuries, the Sabres have a first line that is a threat to score every time it’s on the ice, and the success is driven by Tage Thompson, a 24-year-old center amid his first season playing the position in the NHL.
Thompson’s drastic improvement began with coach Granato’s gamble to move him to center, a position where the Sabres had little depth at the start of training camp. Sam Reinhart was gone, and Jack Eichel was on his way out. Thompson was an impact player from the start of the season, but now, he has two elite linemates in Alex Tuch and Jeff Skinner, who had four goals in the win at Montreal on Sunday.
Their best work Tuesday didn’t occur at even strength, though. With the score tied 1-1 and the Sabres on the penalty kill, Thompson chased down the Islanders deep in their own zone during a Buffalo penalty kill. And when the puck was on Thompson’s stick, none of the five New York players could take it from him. The rebound goal off Cozens’ shot, Thompson’s 16th of the season, gave Buffalo a 2-1 lead at 1:36 into the second period. Thompson has 18 points in his last 17 games and 34 in 44 games this season.
"The focus going in was to play our game," said Thompson. "For us, it's speed. We've got a fast group. We play at a fast pace. When we play our game, I don't think there's too many teams that can keep up with us when we do it for a full 60."
The Islanders tied the score less than six minutes later, but the Sabres continued to control play during the second period, outshooting 17-12 during the middle frame. And it was Tuch who broke through for another lead, tipping Peyton Krebs’ desperation shot with 0.6 seconds remaining. Tuch has 19 points in 16 games with the Sabres, including points in four straight.
The Islanders (17-20-6) had a 1-16-2 record when trailing at the second intermission, yet they found a way to tie the score again in the third when Kyle Palmieri's shot went off Dustin Tokarski's mask and in to make it 3-3 with 10:04 remaining in regulation.
The Sabres didn't unravel, though. They outshot New York 12-4 over the final 12 minutes, none more notable than Olofsson's tie-breaker on a pass from Krebs.
"To see him get that goal I think was huge for his confidence," said Tuch.
The upper-body injury that forced Olofsson to miss eight games in November has been healed for some time. The ailment, though, hindered his ability to shoot for weeks and the impact on his confidence stretched for months. He lost his spot on the top power play and moved around the lineup, as Granato tried to find a way to unleash the goal-scoring winger. After all, Olofsson is an important player for the Sabres. He had 33 goals over the previous two seasons, including 20 in 2019-20. None of his 54 shots during the drought went in. So, when luck finally turned for Olofsson, the Sabres rejoiced.
"I think everybody on the bench had a smile," said Granato. "Most importantly, he had a smile. ... First time in a while, obviously, and we hope it continues and helps him."
Here are other observations from the game Tuesday night:
1. Trending up
Cozens lost his man on the Islanders' first goal, as Kyle Palmieri snuck behind the Sabres center to one-time a 2-on-1 pass. And Cozens took an irresponsible penalty in the second period when he was called for cross-checking Brock Nelson in the back. Cozens, though, responded with three assists and his line delivered an outstanding performance.
"I thought they were really good tonight, supporting each other and played with the confidence of that," Granato said of Cozens, Krebs and Olofsson. " They were rewarded for it. Great job by them."
2. Around the boards
Sabres No. 1 draft choice Owen Power led Canada in ice time for a fourth consecutive game Tuesday, skating 20:33 in a 7-2 win over China at the Olympics. The Canadians will face Sweden in the quarterfinals Wednesday. … Sabres defenseman Mark Pysyk appeared in his 500th career NHL game. … Defenseman Robert Hagg was a healthy scratch, while forwards Zemgus Girgensons and Vinnie Hinostroza remain out because of injury. ... Kyle Okposo scored the game's opening goal, redirecting a pass from Casey Fitzgerald. He was one of five Sabres to record five shots on goal.
Jokiharju doesn’t make jaw-dropping plays, aside from pinpoint breakout passes that can be overlooked by the casual observer, but he’s a stable presence on the blue line and unquestionably one of the Sabres’ top trade acquisitions in recent years.
3. Trade season
TSN’s Darren Dreger reported Tuesday that Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams has received calls from other teams interested in acquiring Hagg or defenseman Colin Miller, who has missed 11 games with an upper-body injury that required surgery. Miller is expected to return sometime in early March. Both are pending unrestricted free agents.
4. Next
The Sabres are scheduled to host the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night in KeyBank Center, followed by the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday afternoon.
