Owen Power was the hero as the Buffalo Sabres downed the Minnesota Wild 3-2 in overtime at KeyBank Center on Tuesday.
The Sabres were down 2-0 after 40 minutes and rallied to tie the game in the third period to remain unbeaten on home ice to start the season.
Power scored with 38 seconds left in overtime and finished the game with two points (1+1). In his first start of the year, goaltender Colten Ellis made several key saves in overtime to secure the win. He concluded the night with 18 saves on 20 shots.
Entering the third period in a 2-0 hole, it took just 3:55 for Buffalo to halve the deficit. A pass from Power ricocheted off a Wild skater before bouncing off the shinpad of Noah Östlund and past Minnesota goaltender Jesper Wallstedt, giving Östlund his first goal of the season.
Tage Thompson made it a 2-2 game at 9:38, converting a one-timer from the slot off a Peyton Krebs feed.
The Sabres earned two power plays in the game, none bigger than a Wild high-sticking call with 3:51 left in regulation – but Buffalo was kept scoreless on the man advantage, including after Thompson was robbed by Wallstedt with a glove on the latter opportunity.
After a scoreless first period, Minnesota got the scoring started in the second frame with a pair of tallies in under two minutes. Danila Yurov notched his first of the season off a one-timer on the power play before linemate Maxim Shabanov beat Ellis 1:45 later.
Yurov’s goal was the lone successful Wild power play on four attempts. Wallstedt finished the game with 25 saves on 28 shots.
