Jeff Carter was relieved.

Sure, scoring an overtime goal and leading the Penguins to a hard-fought 3-2 home win against the Buffalo Sabres at PPG Paints Arena will sate the soul.

But seeing your teammates kill a penalty you took with less than five seconds remaining in regulation? That will salve just about any stress.

Such was the case for Carter, who was assessed a tripping minor at 19 minutes, 55 seconds of the third period against Sabres forward Zemgus Girgensons.

From the home penalty box, Carter watched forwards Zach Aston-Reese, Teddy Blueger and Brock McGinn as well as defensemen Brian Dumoulin, John Marino and Chad Ruhwedel limit the Sabres no shots during a four-on-three power-play opportunity throughout the first 1:55 of the extra period.

“Not the ideal way to start (the overtime period) off,” Carter said. “That’s a tough one. I’m reaching for a puck, and I get (the stick) in his feet. It’s a penalty, but the guys did a heck of a job killing it off, everybody involved in it. … I don’t think (the Sabres) really had one clean look. Hats off to (the penalty killers) for giving us a chance to get that extra point.”

That extra point ensured the Penguins would extend a winning streak to a season-best six games.

As for the penalty kill, it has been successful on 35 consecutive opportunities over a franchise-record 15 games.

“We were stingy on the entry, and that limited their (offensive) zone time,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “The guys did a really good job at pressuring at the right areas and just making the entry difficult. … The (penalty) killers, in general, did a terrific job.”

Penguins forward Evan Rodrigues continues to be terrific while filling in for some of the team’s top forwards. The former Sabres castoff established a career-high with his 10th goal of the season on a power-play opportunity 5:53 into regulation.

Settling a puck above the left circle, Penguins defenseman Kris Letang distributed a pass to the right circle for Rodrigues. Turning toward the cage, Rodrigues lifted a wrister past kneeling Sabres defenseman Jacob Bryson. The puck hit off the underside of goaltender Malcolm Subban’s right arm and caromed into the net. Letang and forward Sidney Crosby had assists.

It became a 2-0 contest at 6:45 of the second period. Corralling a loose puck in the right circle of the offensive zone, Penguins forward Aston-Reese centered a pass to the slot for linemate Blueger who one-touched a wrister. McGinn inadvertently blocked the shot and the rebound slid to the left of the crease where Penguins defenseman Mike Matheson claimed it and shuffled a quick wrister that was intentionally blocked by Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. Claiming the second rebound just above the crease, McGinn fired a quick wrister past an out-of-place Subban for his eighth goal. Matheson and Blueger collected assists.

The Sabres got on the scoreboard at 12:35 of the middle frame. Accepting a pass at the right point of the offensive zone, Sabres rookie defenseman Casey Fitzgerald, the son of former Penguins executive Tom Fitzgerald, pumped a wrister on net. The puck struck Marino and deflected on net. Goaltender Tristan Jarry made a save but allowed a rebound above the blue paint. Girgensons settled the puck, dragged it to the right of the crease and roofed a wrister past a scrambling Jarry for his sixth goal. Fitzgerald, who made his NHL debut, and forward John Hayden were credited with assists.

Things were tied, 2-2, late in regulation at 14:42 of the third period. Driving a puck deep into the right wing corner of the offensive zone, Sabres forward Rasmus Asplund snapped a sharp forehand pass to the left circle for a pinching Dahlin who fired a wrister past a kneeling McGinn as well as Jarry’s blocker on the near side for his sixth goal. Asplund and forward Kyle Okposo registered assists.

Entering overtime, the Sabres had ample opportunity to claim a comeback victory. But the Penguins’ penalty killers stymied those ambitions.

“We just talked about it at the start of the overtime there,” McGinn said. “Not letting them get into the zone easy and kind of shaving some seconds off the clock there. We did a good job of making their entries hard there. When they did get set up, we did a good job of taking away their shooting lanes. They maybe had one really good chance there, and (Jarry) stood on his head and made a big save for us.”

That save by Jarry against Sabres forward Dylan Cozens at 1:59 of overtime was actually an even-strength opportunity that came just as Carter’s penalty had expired.

Regardless, it allowed Carter to score his ninth goal at the 2:53 mark.

A few moments prior, the Sabres lined up for a faceoff at center ice with defenseman Henrik Jokiharju positioned behind forward Cody Eakin, who was taking the draw. Carter won the faceoff by chopping it to his left for Letang, who was unguarded with Jokiharju positioned back. That allowed the Penguins to create an instant two-on-one rush against Jokiharju with Letang and Carter.

Coasting into the offensive zone, Letang slipped a forehand pass past a kneeling Jokiharju to the slot for Carter, who tapped a forehand shot through Subban’s five hole for his ninth goal.

“(Letang) was all alone on the one side,” Carter said. “So I just tried to whack it over to him and was able to get a jump on the centerman. … As soon as it got over to (Letang), I knew we had a two-on-one right away.”

The Penguins have won a half dozen games in a row and know they are playing the right way.

“It’s been going well for us,” Carter said. “We’re hard on pucks. We’re making smart decisions with pucks when we have them, in terms of dumping them in or if you can carry it in. … Our team defense has for the most part been very good during this run.

“Everything is just kind of coming together for us.”

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