BUFFALO – In his five seasons here, Sabres winger Peyton Krebs said he has never experienced anything like the past 20 games.
For six weeks, Krebs has felt like the Sabres can win on any night and any scoring chance they generate can become a goal.
Winning, of course, infuses confidence, and right now, Krebs and many of his teammates have likely never possessed more belief.
The Sabres, who play a road game tonight against the New York Rangers, recently enjoyed a 10-game win streak and have compiled a gaudy 14-6-0 record in those 20 contests Krebs referenced.
“In years past, instead of a 10-game heater at this time of year, we’d have a 10-game losing streak,” Krebs told the Times Herald following Wednesday’s practice in KeyBank Center. “And then after that, we’d turn it on.”
Late last season, long after they fell out of the playoff chase, the Sabres found a groove, finishing on a 12-7-1 run.
The Sabres hoped that torrid stretch would be a harbinger. Then they lost their first three games this season and languished at or near the bottom of the Eastern Conference for weeks.
But at some point, probably in early December, shortly before the Sabres fired general manager Kevyn Adams, something changed. Suddenly, they started showcasing consistent, complete efforts night after night.
“I think we had a little shock of the system that said, ‘(Screw it), we got to turn it on,’” Krebs explained. “I think the last two months of last year we showed that feeling that we can win every night, and I think this year it’s coming earlier, and that’s really important for us.”
The Sabres’ hottest stretch in more than seven years began around the time coach Lindy Ruff shifted the 6-foot, 188-pound Krebs, who usually centers the fourth line, up to left wing on the No. 1 trio alongside center Tage Thompson and Josh Doan.
At the time, it seemed like a bit of a puzzling move. Krebs, 24, had zero goals. Why promote him?
Well, considering the team’s recent exploits, it has paid off.
Krebs, the 17th overall pick by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2019, possesses skill. But he has earned regular duty for years as a checker because he developed an aggressive, sandpaper style.
Ruff said Krebs’ presence gives Thompson and Doan a tenacious forechecker and allows the trio to try different things.
For example, Krebs, a left-handed shot, can take offensive-zone faceoffs on the strong side, allowing Thompson, a right-handed shot, to be positioned on his shooting side.
“We’ve a seen a couple (won) draws that relate to scoring opportunities,” Ruff said.
Ruff said within plays, they can switch – “There’s a good interchange between the two of them,” he said – so Krebs can play down low and Thompson can move back to wing.
Krebs said he wants to take away some of the grunt work for his teammates in the corners and other areas so their skill can come out.
“I’m just trying to be consistent for them … getting them pucks, blowing up plays defensively and offensively to allow them to get the puck,” Krebs said.
In Tuesday’s 5-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks, Krebs created offense by knocking two opponents down like bowling pins in the Buffalo zone. That freed the puck, and the Sabres gained possession and skated down the ice.
“I just tried to take out the first guy, and then I ended up taking both, so double kill,” he said.
Doan, who was forced to move back to defense on the play, said he suddenly saw “two guys tumbling down next to me.”
“Krebsy was in the middle of it,” he said. “It was pretty entertaining to see.”
Krebs got the 2 for 1 with this hit #LetsGoBuffalo #Sabrehood #Canucks pic.twitter.com/yChz6M94dY
— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) January 7, 2026
Krebs has also started contributing offense, scoring three goals, including two into an empty net, in the last seven games.
“They all count,” Krebs said.
The empty-netters haven’t been cheap.
On Dec. 21 in New Jersey he raced down the ice and beat one of the Devils to the puck. Krebs said he reached his top speed this season – 22.8 mph – to reach the puck. On Dec. 29 in St. Louis, he scored from 139 feet away after the Blues nearly tied the game.
He scored his only goal past a goalie Dec. 27 against Boston, when he tipped Thompson’s shot in as he battled one of the Bruins in front of the net.