Sabres goaltender Carter Hutton is 7-0-0 in Buffalo's current win streak and with a .934 save percentage and 1.98 goals against average. (Getty Photo/Justin Berl)

Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel was nowhere to be found for almost a period and a half to start the game and Sam Reinhart split his lip and had to get it stitched in the dressing room.

By the time Reinhart and Eichel returned the Sabres were down 2-1 during a Nov. 10 game against the Vancouver Canucks. Heading into the third period they needed a spark.

They didn't get it to start the third and the Canucks kept the pressure on. They took a 3-1 lead and seemingly put the game out of reach early in the third. Then with two and a half minutes to play, Reinhart set up Jeff Skinner for 3-2; then Reinhart scored on a rebound less than a minute later to tie it and send it to overtime.

The Sabres won the game in a shootout and now sit atop the Eastern Conference riding an eight game win streak a few weeks later. Six of those eight wins are of the come-from-behind variety.

Here are seven ways Buffalo is making the charge back this season.

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You know you want to see it all again.#LetsGoBuffalo ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/awSU5OmYzS — Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) November 24, 2018

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1. Jeff Skinner can't be contained

Jeff Skinner's offensive production has been greater than even the most optimistic Sabres fans could have hoped for. His ability to create a mismatch in the slot, put home rebounds and penchant for late-game heroics has already made him a fan favorite.

"He's got a dog-on-bone mentality," Sabres coach Phil Housley said. "Any loose puck or retrieval he's gonna get on it. Big save the one time he dove to keep it in in a key position and that's what Jeff skinner does. He can track down pucks for us."

Skinner's 17 goals (tied for the NHL lead) in 23 games has not only given him confidence but it has made the Sabres as a team elevate their play. Skinner is on pace for 61 goals and the Sabres appear to be riding the hot hand.

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2. Goaltending has been outstanding

While testing the free agent market many had Carter Hutton tabbed as a solid backup goaltender that could handle an expanded workload. But Hutton is proving to everyone that he is a solid No. 1 option.

On Friday night Hutton stopped 31 of 33 shots against Montreal en route to his seventh straight win. He is now 7-0-0 in his last eight games with a .934 save percentage and a 1.98 goals against average.

"I just try to stick to the script and do what I do best and battle," Hutton said. "The way it has been has been great, but for me, I just try to stay in the moment. I can't start getting too worried about that, you know?"

Hutton's emergence as a starter for the Sabres has provided them with a level of consistency the team hasn't seen since Ryan Miller. His 11 wins this season rank second in the NHL behind Toronto's Frederik Andersen. This is the best run from a Sabres goaltender since Miller won eight in a row from Oct. 8 to Oct. 30 in 2009.

The way he handles the puck and plays within himself has turned many fans in to believers.

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3. This Sabres team is resilient

The 2017 Sabres may have thrown in the towel when going down a goal late in the game. But this year's team never seems out of a game. They continue to find ways to win hockey games.

"I think we're enjoying it for sure," Eichel told Sabres.com. "We don't want to lose. I mean, who wants to lose? You want to win every game you go out and try and play. We've got another tough test tomorrow in Detroit against a team that's been playing really well."

Last season Buffalo was 6-12 when a game went past regulation. This season Buffalo has become much stronger in that area. They are 3-0 in overtime during the current run and they are 2-0 in shootouts.

They are also 8-0-2 in one-goal games so far this season.

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4. Home sweet home

The crowd is getting louder with every win as the Sabres continue to build home ice advantage.

In their last two home games the Sabres have had a sellout crowd on hand for the first time since March when they played host to the Chicago Blackhawks and Toronto Maple Leafs.

On Wednesday night against the Flyers, Jake McCabe could feel the electric energy of KeyBank Center.

"I figured with the 7:30 game and the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, they might have a couple alcoholic beverages in them before so they're going to be rowdy," he said. "We definitely fed off that early. We were pumped up to get out there. We just really rallied around their energy. It was a blast."

The Sabres have put together their best winning streak since a 10-game run to open the 2006-07 season and their 8-2-1 home ice record puts them on pace for their best home number since 1979-80.

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Good morning. 😎



How is everyone today? pic.twitter.com/NpaLddQG9L — Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) November 24, 2018

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5. The stars are shining

Before an Oct. 20 game against the Los Angeles Kings, Housley knew he needed to shake things up.

He placed Eichel, Skinner and Jason Pominville on the same line and the Sabres' offense has been on another level ever since.

That night the three combined for nine points and were a plus-11. Skinner scored and earned his fifth career hat trick; Eichel had three assists including one on Skinner's goal and one on Pominville's goal; and Pominville added a goal of his own.

Since being paired about 15 games ago, the three Sabres stars have combined for 24 goals and 57 points and have emerged as one of the top lines in the NHL.

Housley has some flexibility with the Skinner-Eichel-Pominville line. When he needs to change the flow of the game or create a different look he will flip Pominville for Sam Reinhart.

On Friday night, Housley sent Reinhart out there to skate with the top line.

"Reino is a puck possession guy and somebody who likes to make plays," Eichel said. "Both players are great to play with, but it's just different. Pommer is more of a get it, give it and go get open to shoot. Sam is able to kind of control the play a little bit more and hold it, let you get open and give it to you."

In four shifts Skinner-Eichel-Reinhart generated six shots and Reinhart assisted on Skinner's game-tying goal with 2:26 left in the third period.

The ability to move Reinhart around in the lineup has been a contributing factor the Sabres success so far this season.

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6. The defense contributing on offense

The Sabres' defensive unit struggled last season. Through 27 games a year ago they struggled to help generate chances. Thirteen defenseman played at least one game during that stretch and the group combined for just 19 goals.

This season Buffalo is on pace to eclipse its 2017-2018 mark of 19 goals and 94 assists totaled by its defensemen. After 23 games the defensive unit has already recorded 12 goals, 39 assists and 51 points and the emergence of rookie Rasmus Dahlin and the steady play of Rasmus Ristolainen has helped lead the group.

In the last eight games Buffalo has outscored teams, 28-20. Dahlin has been on the ice for 17 of the Sabres' goals scored and Ristolainen has been on the ice for 10.

If the Sabres can continue to create scoring chances from the blue line they remain one of the more difficult teams in the NHL to deal with.

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7. Consistent penalty kill

Since pummeling the Ottawa Senators on Nov. 3, 9-2, the Sabres have gotten a nice contribution from the penalty kill.

On Friday night before Andrew Shaw scored on the power play for the Canadiens, the Sabres had killed off 20 of their last 21 penalties, including a roughing penalty by defenseman Zach Bogosian.

Their ability to kill off penalties in timely situations has helped keep them close in one-goal games.

"I think off the draw our PK has been so good for us this year and especially in this stretch," Eichel said to Sabres.com. "You can't really fault if (a team) gets a tip or something."

During the eight-game winning streak the Sabres are 20-for-22 (90 percent). The penalty kill has been a bright spot for the Sabres this season.

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