Owen Power absolutely snatched victory from the jaws of defeat for the Buffalo Sabres last night, netting the overtime winner against the Minnesota Wild after an insane two-goal comeback to seal a 3-2 victory. Seriously, you gotta see how this one unfolded, it was wild. The Sabres just keep showing grit, pulling off their second straight win when trailing heading into the third period.
The Sabres’ Third-Period Magic and an Unsung Hero
Can you believe the turnarounds this Buffalo team is making? They were down 2-0 to the Wild with just over four minutes left in the second, thanks to quick strikes from Danila Yurov and Maxim Shabanov for Minnesota. But the Sabres didn’t quit. Tage Thompson, who hit his 400th career point for Buffalo in this game, and Noah Ostlund lit the lamp six minutes apart in the third, tying it up and sending the Buffalo crowd into a frenzy. Thompson is only the ninth Sabre to hit 400 points, and the first since Thomas Vanek to do it in 491 games or fewer, which is a massive milestone!
And let’s talk about Colten Ellis. This dude is Buffalo’s third-string goalie, making his season debut because co-starter Alex Lyon is recovering from a shoulder injury. He stopped 18 shots, including three huge ones in overtime. He basically stood on his head! Power’s winner came after Thompson missed a drive, but Jiri Kulich, who also had the decisive goal against Chicago in their home opener, scooped up the puck and fed Power for a perfect snap shot inside the left post. The Wild’s Jesper Wallstedt made 25 saves, including a sick glove stop on Thompson late in regulation, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Sabres’ surge. This was a huge blow for Minnesota, who missed a chance to start 3-0 for the first time since 2021-22, which would have been only the sixth time in franchise history.
Drama and Dedication in Detroit
Meanwhile, over in Detroit, Dylan Larkin made his return for the Red Wings with a bang, scoring a goal in a 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators. This is the same Larkin who asked for a trade months ago, got stripped of his captaincy, reported to camp injured, and missed the start of the season. He even got booed by the home crowd on his first shift! But when he scored in the 13th minute to give Detroit a lead they never let go of, those boos turned right into cheers. What a redemption moment, even with all the uncertainty around his future.
Alex DeBrincat was on fire too, bagging two goals and an assist for Detroit. He got his first with a wrist shot early in the first, then sealed it with a power-play empty-netter late in the third. Justin Faulk and Viktor Arvidsson added goals, and John Gibson made 22 saves for the Red Wings. The Senators, who had won their first two games, got goals from Drake Batherson, Tim Stutzle, and William Eklund, but Samuel Ersson’s 31 saves couldn’t overcome Detroit.
Mammoth’s Power Play Prowess
Out in Newark, the Utah Mammoth kept their early season roll going, leaning on their absolutely lethal power play to beat the New Jersey Devils 5-3. Nick Schmaltz is already lighting it up with an NHL-best fifth goal of the season. Seriously, five goals this early? The Mammoth went 2 for 4 on the power play and have converted on 8 of 13 chances so far this season. That’s a scary unit. Clayton Keller, MacKenzie Weegar, Lawson Crouse, and Vincent Trocheck also found the net for Utah. Mikhail Sergachev racked up three assists, pushing him past 300 career assists, but had to leave the game late in the second after taking a puck to the back of the helmet.
With all these teams making early season statements, you gotta wonder what other surprises are waiting for us. Will the Sabres keep up this comeback magic? Can Larkin find common ground with the Red Wings, or is this just the calm before the storm? And how far can Utah’s power play take them? It’s shaping up to be a wild early stretch across the league, and we’re here for every minute of it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply