Owen Power finishes Sabres comeback in overtime after Wild take a two-goal lead

Minnesota’s burst changed a quiet game

For nearly two periods, this was a scoreless game waiting for a break. Minnesota found it first, then found it again quickly enough to make Buffalo’s night look in trouble. Danila Yurov opened the scoring at 13:53 of the second on a slap shot, with Jared Spurgeon and Blake Coleman drawing the assists.

The Wild doubled the lead only 1:45 later. Maxim Shabanov struck at 15:38 on a snap shot, set up by Quinn Hughes and Michael McCarron, and Buffalo suddenly faced a 2-0 hole despite keeping the game even through the opening 20 minutes.

That sequence was Minnesota at its most efficient. Yurov and Shabanov each scored their first goal of the season, and the Wild got the cushion they wanted without needing a huge shot total. Buffalo finished the night with more shots, 28-21, but Colten Ellis settled after that second-period burst and stopped 19 of 21 overall to keep the Sabres within reach.

Buffalo answered in two clean steps

The comeback started early in the third and, more importantly, it started with immediate scoreboard damage. Noah Ostlund cut the deficit to 2-1 at 3:55 with a deflected goal, with Power and Rasmus Dahlin picking up the assists. Instead of chasing the full two goals deep into the period, Buffalo gave itself a long runway to work with.

The equalizer came at 9:38, when Tage Thompson tied it on a snap shot from a setup by Peyton Krebs. The level score lasted the rest of regulation, and Buffalo’s best individual numbers were attached to the players who drove that recovery. Thompson fired nine shots, the highest total in the game, while Power finished with a goal and an assist in 28:21 of ice time.

Overtime ended before the game reached the shootout. At 4:22, Power scored the winner on a wrist shot with Jiri Kulich credited for the lone assist. It was a fitting finish for one of Buffalo’s busiest skaters. Dahlin logged 29:15, Power played 28:21, and the Sabres leaned heavily on their top defencemen while pulling the game back from the edge.

Our take: Buffalo earned the comeback, but both teams left clear issues behind

Buffalo deserves the result because it changed the game on the scoreboard after falling behind 2-0, and there is real value in getting decisive offence from core players. Thompson’s tying goal, Power’s two-point night and Ostlund’s breakthrough gave the Sabres a comeback with substance, not just survival. The club also edged the faceoff battle at 51.9 per cent and finished with the higher shot total.

Still, this was not a perfectly clean Buffalo performance. The Sabres went 0-for-2 on the power play and were charged with 18 giveaways, so there was enough loose puck management in the game to keep Minnesota alive even after the tide turned. If Buffalo wants more nights like this without needing overtime rescue, cleaner execution with the man advantage and fewer free possessions would help.

For Minnesota, the frustration is obvious. The Wild scored twice in a 1:45 span, outhit Buffalo 26-12 and got one power-play goal in four chances, yet they left with one point instead of two. The biggest warning sign is the 20 giveaways attached to a game they once led by two. When a team builds that kind of second-period advantage, protecting the puck and extending pressure matter more than adding style points. Minnesota did enough to seize the game for a while, but not enough to close it.

Scoring moments

1. 2nd · 13:53

   Danila Yurov Goal (1) Slap Shot, assists: Jared Spurgeon (2), Blake Coleman (1)

2. 2nd · 15:38

   Maxim Shabanov Goal (1) Snap Shot, assists: Quinn Hughes (3), Michael McCarron (3)

3. 3rd · 3:55

   Noah Ostlund Goal (1) Deflected, assists: Owen Power (4), Rasmus Dahlin (1)

4. 3rd · 9:38

   Tage Thompson Goal (2) Snap Shot, assists: Peyton Krebs (2)

5. OT · 4:22

   Owen Power Goal (1) Wrist Shot, assists: Jiri Kulich (1)