Sabres fight their way to shootout win over Golden Knights after Jiri Kulich injured: ‘We look like a real team’

BUFFALO – Tomas Hertl had the game-clinching goal on his stick, only open ice and an empty net ahead, when he decided to give former Sabres captain Jack Eichel another chance to tell the locals to buzz off.

Instead of shooting the puck from the right circle with 37 seconds left to give the Vegas Golden Knights a two-goal lead, the veteran backhanded it to Eichel in the slot.

Eichel, who had put Vegas up just minutes earlier, heard boos from many in the crowd of 16,770 every time he touched the puck Saturday afternoon in KeyBank Center. Fans here, of course, still haven’t forgiven Eichel, an ultra-talented center who was expected to lead the Sabres back to glory, for wanting out of Buffalo in 2021.

Apparently, in Hertl’s mind, Eichel deserved to put the finishing touches on a victory.

But should it come at the expense of a win?

“I’d like to see him shoot the puck in the net and end the game,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said after the Sabres rallied for a 4-3 shootout win. “That’s what I’d like to see. I think the whole team would like to see that.”

Eichel couldn’t grab the pass. The Sabres regained possession and forced a faceoff in the Vegas zone.

With 13.6 seconds remaining in regulation and an extra attacker still on the ice, Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin one-timed defenseman Bowen Byram’s pass from the point by goalie Adin Hill, tying the game.

Winger Alex Tuch scored the shootout-deciding goal in the third round, securing just the Sabres’ second win in their last nine outings (2-6-1).

The Sabres outplayed the Golden Knights, outshooting them 37-19. Still, they almost certainly would’ve lost if Hertl simply converted his layup.

“I couldn’t care less if he tried to disrespect anything,” Dahlin said. “We got the win and that’s all that matters.”

Cassidy, whose team has 28 more points than the Sabres, said “a total lack of respect, probably most of the night” cost Vegas the game.

“But the way it kind of ended, probably sums that up,” he said.

The way it ended satisfied the Sabres, who erased a two-goal deficit and, more importantly, stuck up for each other.

After Vegas center Brett Howden hit Sabres rookie Jiri Kulich in the head 9:25 into the second period, knocking him out of the game, teammate Peyton Krebs immediately fought Howden.

Remember, when New Jersey Devils winger Stefan Noesen earned an ejection for hitting center Tage Thompson in the head Feb. 2, the Sabres did not respond. Thompson suffered a concussion

The next day, the Sabres canceled practice and addressed their inaction.

This time, however, Krebs quickly took care of things as Kulich laid face-first on the ice. That Krebs received an instigating minor and a 10-minute misconduct in addition to his fighting major – Howden was only penalized for the scrap – hardly mattered.

“A step in the right direction, for sure,” Dahlin said. “Now we look like a team. We’ve had a lot of discussion lately, how we want to play these last (16 games). Today was a good step in the right direction.”

Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said “That is what we need every response, every instance.

“It was missing earlier in the year, the Devil game,” he said. “That’s an automatic in and love what Krebs did.”

Ruff said Kulich, who eventually skated off the ice and left the game, “is doing pretty good.”

“I’ve talked to him,” he said. “Tomorrow will be the story, but overall, he’s doing pretty good.”

Barely two minutes after Howden’s hit, Sabres winger Jordan Greenway fought Vegas winger Keegan Kolesar.

To Dahlin, the fights illustrate the Sabres’ recent transformation.

“You can clearly see we’re a bit of a different now with Krebs today, Greener,” he said. “We’re stepping up for each other. Now we look like a real team now. This is the start of something good, I think.”

Dahlin said when he talks about the team’s growth, it also includes “things that you guys don’t see in the locker room.

“It’s a different vibe right now,” he said. “Guys are stepping up, being really good leaders, and guys want to be here. We want to make a difference.”

Fresh off Wednesday’s 7-3 road loss to the Detroit Red Wings, the Sabres roared back after Howden and Pavel Dorofeyev put Vegas up 2-0. Sabres center Ryan McLeod scored seven seconds after Dorofeyev’s goal 12:06 into the second period.

Sabres winger Jason Zucker’s power-play goal tied it 9:53 into the third period. Eichel scored at 17:27, bringing more boos from the crowd.

Still, the Sabres earned a victory they deserved.

“I think we’re trying to focus on how we want to finish the season as a team and building our group,” Zucker said. “And I think this is a good step. And especially after the game in Detroit, I thought this was a great response.”

Notes: Thompson, who had been playing right wing most of the winter, skated at center against Vegas. … The Sabres scratched center Josh Norris (undisclosed injury), winger JJ Peterka (lower body) and defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker. … The Sabres welcomed back Vegas winger Victor Olofsson, who spent six seasons in the organization, with a video in his first visit back. Olofsson scored in the shootout before Sabres winger Jack Quinn tied it.