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Okotoks’ Krebs notches his first two NHL goals

"That's exciting, you dream of that as a kid and want to go do that again and again."
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Peyton Krebs scored his first two NHL goals in the Buffalo Sabres' 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 22. (Photo courtesy Rochester Americans/Micheline Veluvolu)

The pride of Okotoks hockey doubled down on an NHL first on Saturday. 

Okotokian Peyton Krebs scored his first two National Hockey League goals, including the game-winner as the Buffalo Sabres dispatched the struggling Philadelphia Flyers 6-3, Jan. 22 on home ice. 

"I'm not known as a goal-scorer so I wasn't too worried about (the pressure) so it's a nice thing to get off the back, and now I think the floodgates will open," said Krebs, in the post-game media conference. "It's just kind of relief, to be honest with you, not too much emotions, it was just, 'There it is and now we can roll on.'"

The 20-year-old's first goal, which held up as the game-winner, came on a deflection in tight on a Henri Jokiharju point-shot late in the first period.

"That gives you a little bit of a boost, for sure," Krebs said of the first goal. "That's exciting, you dream of that as a kid and want to go do that again and again.

"That was my mentality out there."  

https://twitter.com/NHL/status/1484962872409178117

His second tally was of the highlight reel variety as Krebs came out of the penalty-box, took a stretch pass from Rasmus Asplund, burst forward for the breakaway and roofed a backhand shot past Flyers netminder Carter Hart. 

https://twitter.com/BuffaloSabres/status/1484968097517813765

"He's a pretty special talent, you could see several moments," said Sabres head coach Don Granato in the post-game press conference. "There was one powerplay where he was pressured three different times and guys would have lost the puck, they just swarmed him and he broke that pressure on the half-wall on the powerplay two or three different times, that's special, that's feeling of time and space and where your options are. He's got a lot on the radar when he has the puck, as you can see.

"He's a talented kid and he's a worker so it's nice to see him get rewarded. Beautiful second goal...But he's willing, willing to go the net and that's how he scored the first one."

The Foothills Composite alumnus became just the 10th Sabre to ever score multiple goals in the same game in which he scored his first, joining a list that includes Pierre Turgeon, Thomas Vanek and Craig Ramsay.

Krebs was in his fourth game back from being in COVID-19 protocol and seventh game with the Sabres since being acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights as part of the Jack Eichel blockbuster trade in early November. 

Through 20 games over parts of two seasons, the 17th overall selection of the Golden Knights in the 2019 Draft, has five points. 

The rebuilding Sabres are one of the youngest teams in the NHL with a growing core featuring the likes of Krebs, Dylan Cozens, Rasmus Dahlin, Jack Quinn and JJ Peterka.

"We're not winning games to a level anybody likes," Granato added. "But my confidence in that we're going to win games is through guys like Peyton, guys like Jack Quinn and Dylan Cozens, through Rasmus Dahlin, these young guys you just know, you just see every day how much better they're going to get.

"They're dominant in moments and those moments are going to become more frequent, that's just going to happen so we're going to keep supporting them and it's going to happen."

 

https://twitter.com/BuffaloSabres/status/1484998041941725190


Remy Greer

About the Author: Remy Greer

Remy Greer is the assistant editor and sports reporter for westernwheel.ca and the Western Wheel newspaper. For story tips contact [email protected]
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