Owen Power scores at 3:14 of overtime as Sabres beat Maple Leafs 5-4 at Scotiabank Arena

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Owen Power scored at 3:14 of overtime as the Buffalo Sabres completed a comeback to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-4 on Thursday at Scotiabank Arena. Power’s winner capped a back-and-forth game in which Buffalo overcame a two-goal deficit entering the third period, turning the result in its favour with a late surge that included clutch scoring and an overtime finish.

Power’s winning goal came on a saucer pass from Jack Quinn. Power then buried a wrist shot from the top of the left face-off circle to give Buffalo the extra point. The Sabres improved to a 4-3-1 record and moved to 2-2-1 in their past five games.

Jack Quinn had a decisive all-around night for Buffalo, scoring twice and adding two assists. Quinn tied the game and contributed to key moments earlier in the contest, helping the Sabres manufacture scoring chances and ultimately swing momentum in the late stages. Mattias Samuelsson also played a major role with a goal and an assist for Buffalo, while Noah Ostlund and Zach Benson each recorded two assists. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 26 saves for the Sabres as Toronto scored four times in regulation and once more in the comeback attempt before the overtime period ended.

For Toronto, Kirill Marchenko produced a standout performance by scoring a hat trick in his 300th NHL game. Marchenko’s goals were central to the Maple Leafs’ lead-building in the early portion of the game and his second and third goals extended Toronto’s advantage before Buffalo’s late comeback. Auston Matthews also scored for the Maple Leafs, whose record after the loss stood at 3-3-2 and who entered the night 2-1-2 in their past five games.

Sergei Bobrovsky made 29 saves for Toronto in a game that featured multiple lead changes. Marchenko opened the Maple Leafs’ scoring at 13:10 of the first period on the power play. The play began with a pass from Tavares at the side of the net; Marchenko took control, curled out from along the goal line, and flipped the puck between Luukkonen’s glove.

Toronto’s lead held until Quinn responded in the second period. Quinn tied the game 2-2 at 2:41 of the second period by finishing a wrist shot after taking a cross-ice feed from Ostlund. Quinn toe-dragged around Jake McCabe before scoring from the top of the right circle, levelling the contest after Toronto had previously pushed its advantage.

The Maple Leafs regained a one-goal edge during the second period after Marchenko and Tavares combined again. At 11:13, Tavares poked a puck loose along the sideboards and Marchenko collected it before shooting high to the glove side from the top of the left circle, putting Toronto ahead 3-2.

Marchenko then completed his hat-trick with a third-period momentum swing that helped extend Toronto’s lead. At 16:51, Marchenko made it 4-2 by one-timing a pass in the slot from Colton Sissons, who was positioned behind the net. The hat trick was Marchenko’s first with Toronto and his fifth in the NHL, a notable milestone that came at the 300-game mark.

Despite Marchenko’s late surge, Buffalo pulled even. Dennis Gilbert cut the deficit to 4-3 at 10:05 of the third period when his shot got through traffic past Bobrovsky’s glove from the blue line. The Sabres then tied the game 4-4 at 12:16 when Mattias Samuelsson scored, taking a pass from Tage Thompson and placing a shot over Bobrovsky’s blocker from the high slot.

The game’s earlier scoring began with Matthews. Matthews put Toronto in front 1-0 at 2:24 of the first period by staying onside after a clearing attempt at the blue line. He received the puck, went to the net, and tapped in a return feed at the top of the crease, extending his point streak to six games with six goals and seven assists.

Quinn answered by tying the game 1-1 at 3:35 of the first period. Benson created the scoring opportunity by reaching a loose puck behind the net after it was over-skated by Nick Blankenburg, then sliding a pass in front to Quinn, who scored between Bobrovsky’s pads.

Toronto faced a late-in-game change after Tavares left the game at 2:32 of the third following a collision with Josh Norris. According to the play-by-play details provided, Tavares remained on the ice for about 90 seconds before getting up and skating to the dressing room under his own power along with a trainer. The night ended with Power’s overtime goal giving Buffalo the 5-4 win.