Sabres “Power” Past Wild, Shifting Line Combos In Third Period Comeback

The Buffalo Sabres stayed unbeaten in the second game of their five-game homestand against the Minnesota Wild, a 3-2 overtime victory at Key Bank Center on Tuesday. The game played out similarly to the 4-3 win over Chicago last weekend, as the Sabres trailed entering the third period, but tied the game on goals by Noah Ostlund and Tage Thompson, before Owen Power scored the game-winner with 38 second left in overtime.  

Power, who scored a career-low 29 points last season, leads the Sabres with five points in three games, making up for some of the offensive gap created by the departure of Bowen Byram to Chicago. 

"He's  really  got  himself  off  to  a  good  start.  Really  skating  well,  moving  the  puck  well.  He's  finding  people." Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said after the game.  "He's breaking  the  puck  out  really  well.  I  really  like  where  he's  got  his  game.  He's  stronger.  He's  faster.  He's  really  moving  up  there."

Colten Ellis made 18 saves for his first win of the season, but at practice on Wednesday, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was playing at the home end of the ice, providing the first indicator that he will be the starter against the Dallas Stars on Thursday. 

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One change implemented by Ruff on Tuesday was shaking up his line combos in the third, moving Peyton Krebs and Jiri Kulich up to the top line with Tage Thompson. That combo combined for Thompson’s tying goal midway through the third, a point-blank scoring chance that Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt robbed Thompson on late in the third, and Power’s game-winner. 

That unit remained intact at practice on Wednesday, with Josh Norris moving back with Ryan McLeod, and Konsta Helenius, and a fourth line unit of Beck Malenstyn, Justin Danforth, and Josh Doan. Ruff indicated after the game that Doan, who had 25 goals last season, has been struggling with a lower-body issue lately. 

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