BUFFALO, N.Y. — Sabres interim coach Don Granato hoped a re-emphasis on speed and forechecking would lead to a better result in a rematch against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The difference was evident from the beginning.

Arttu Ruotsalainen scored by converting Dylan Cozens’ pass an 2-on-1 break 26 seconds in, and the Sabres played the role of spoiler in the East Division playoff race with a 4-2 win on Sunday.

Sam Reinhart scored twice and Rasmus Asplund, with an empty-netter, also scored for Buffalo. The Sabres bounced back a day after becoming the NHL’s first team eliminated from playoff contention following a 3-2 loss to Pittsburgh.

“I thought we played a little wiser game. We didn’t tire ourselves,” Granato said. “A little messy with the puck yesterday and then we had to expend a lot of extra energy as a result. Our guys cleaned that up today.”

Dustin Tokarski stopped 34 shots and had his shutout bid end on Jason Zucker’s goal scored off a faceoff with 9:42 remaining, and cut Buffalo’s lead to 3-1. Teddy Blueger also scored in the final minute.

The Penguins came out flat and lacked hustle in dropping to 4-1-1 in their past six and 10-3-2 in their past 15. Pittsburgh squandered an opportunity to move within a point of the East-leading Washington Capitals, who lost at Boston earlier in the day.

“Maybe a little cause for concern in the sense that this time of year, we can’t afford to come out flat like that,” Blueger said. “I felt we were second to loose pucks. Losing a lot of puck battles. I think that kind of cost us.”

Pittsburgh goalie Casey DeSmith made 25 saves and had his three-game shutout streak end at 180 minutes and 18 seconds on Ruotsalaien’s goal. DeSmith, who shut out Buffalo twice this season, had stopped 86 consecutive Sabres shots since allowing Jack Eichel to score 45 seconds into overtime in Pittsburgh’s 5-4 loss on Nov. 19, 2018.

The win was Buffalo’s first in regulation at home against Pittsburgh since a 6-2 victory on Feb. 19, 2012. The Penguins had gone 13-0-2 since.

Overall, Pittsburgh lost to Buffalo for just the eighth time — and fifth in regulation — since the start of the 2012-13 season.

The Sabres continued showing they’re no pushovers by improving to 6-8-3 in the month since Granato took over after Ralph Krueger was fired. Buffalo is also 6-3-2 in its past 11 since snapping an 18-game winless skid that matched the NHL’s 14th-longest streak.

The Sabres scored on each of their first shots of the first two periods.

Buffalo’s Victor Olofsson stripped Evan Rodrigues of the puck inside the Penguins blue line, and passed to Reinhart, who was bursting up the right wing. Reinhart cut into the circle and beat DeSmith high on the far side.