This comes one game after Rosen scored his first goal. With six key forwards – Josh Norris, Jason Zucker, Zach Benson, Jiri Kulich, Tyson Kozak and Justin Danforth – sidelined by injury or health issues, the Sabres are greatly benefitting from their former first-round picks’ offensive contributions.
“We need their skill, we need their scoring ability that they’ve shown in the minors,” Ruff said. “This is the next step for them. This is the opportunity they’re waiting for. All of a sudden, they get 14, 15 minutes, and I think they’ve taken advantage of it. Both guys have played extremely well for us.”
For the Sabres, this marks the first stretch of five straight overtime games since March 2022. Each point does matter, especially with the Eastern Conference standings so congested a month into the season, but Buffalo knows it needs to start capitalizing on its mostly strong play and stringing together two-point nights.
“If we find a way to keep getting points, find a way to continue to stick around, that’s a good thing,” Lyon said. “I also think the next step is available for us where maybe we start to take over. But credit to the guys – continued to battle all night with a tough lineup situation.”