“I think it was just desperation,” Thompson said. “We’ve been in a lot of overtime games and been on the other side of it. Loose puck there, and if I get that puck, then we’ve got a really good look.”
The play secured two well-earned points for the Sabres, who hadn’t won a game they trailed by three goals since November 2018. On Saturday, Detroit scored three times in five minutes, taking a 4-1 lead early in the second period, but Buffalo wasn’t deterred.
“Our desperation has to be greater than theirs if we’re going to get back,” Ruff recalled telling the team. “This isn’t screaming and yelling at each other, it’s about, we’ve got to do it for each other. And I thought the guys went out and did a hell of a job.”
The comeback started with 2:02 remaining in the second, when Josh Doan redirected Dahlin’s point shot for his fifth goal of the season. A two-goal game, now.
It continued 4:25 into the third on a terrific individual play by Thompson. He grabbed the puck in the defensive zone, raced up ice, stickhandled his way to the crease and beat Gibson. A one-goal game, now.