Owen Power ended Buffalo’s comeback with a wrist shot 4:22 into overtime, lifting the Sabres to a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild at KeyBank Center on Tuesday.
Jiri Kulich fed Power in the slot, and the defenseman beat Jesper Wallstedt just inside the left post for Buffalo’s second straight win. The Sabres moved to 2-1-0, while Minnesota picked up its first overtime loss to sit at 2-0-1.
Quick facts
- Owen Power scored the overtime winner for Buffalo.
- Noah Ostlund and Tage Thompson erased a two-goal Minnesota lead in the third period.
- Colten Ellis stopped 18 shots for the Sabres; Jesper Wallstedt made 25 saves for the Wild.
- Danila Yurov and Maxim Shabanov scored for Minnesota.
- Wild forward Nick Foligno exited late in the first period with an upper-body injury and did not return.
Minnesota built its lead during the second period. Yurov opened the scoring on the power play at 13:53, taking Jared Spurgeon’s pass in the right circle and firing a one-timer past Ellis on the short side.
Shabanov made it 2-0 at 15:38. Quinn Hughes carried the puck into the left circle before sliding it across to Shabanov, who snapped his finish past the Buffalo goaltender.
The Sabres found their push early in the third. At 3:55, Power tried to send the puck across the crease to Ostlund, but it changed direction off Minnesota forward Blake Coleman’s skate and then Ostlund’s leg before crossing the line.
Thompson leveled the game at 9:38. Peyton Krebs found him in the slot, and Thompson quickly went stick side on Wallstedt to force overtime.
Buffalo’s rally was completed when Power joined the rush and buried Kulich’s setup. Ellis held Minnesota off the board from the third period through the extra session to secure the win.
Foligno’s status will bear watching after he was forced out before the first intermission and did not return.
