Owen Power leads Sabres to 3–2 OT win over Wild as Ellis steadies crease

The Buffalo Sabres earned a hard-fought 3–2 overtime win against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night, continuing to push back after a disappointing opening loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Despite falling behind early and dealing with penalties and momentum swings, Buffalo clawed back and claimed the extra point on home ice.

Power takes charge on the blue line

Owen Power was the difference-maker from the back end. The defenceman logged 29:04 of ice time, assisted on the Sabres’ first goal and then ended the game with the overtime winner. He finished plus-three, controlling play in all three zones and looking fully in command throughout the night.

Coming off a strong step forward last season, Power has carried that progress into the start of 2026–27, now sitting at five points through three games. While Rasmus Dahlin remains the established cornerstone on defence, Power’s ability to handle heavy minutes and tilt the ice against the Wild underlines how important he has become to Buffalo’s overall structure.

Power play woes linger despite talent

The win did little to ease concerns about the Sabres’ power play. Buffalo went 0-for-2 with the man advantage against Minnesota and is now 0-for-10 on the season, one of only a few NHL teams yet to score on the power play. That drought is particularly frustrating for a group that boasts multiple high-end forwards and one of the league’s top point defencemen in Dahlin.

Zone entries have shown improvement compared to last year, but once set up in the offensive end, the Sabres struggle to establish any sustained threat. Penalty killers have been able to disrupt passing lanes with active sticks, and Buffalo has yet to find a consistent balance between patience and decisive puck movement. Fixing that unit remains a key task if the club wants to build on its breakout 2025–26 campaign.

Ellis offers stability in a crowded crease

In goal, Colten Ellis delivered exactly what the Sabres needed amid an unsettled crease. With Alex Lyon sidelined by a shoulder injury and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen struggling in his first two starts, Buffalo turned to Ellis, who was claimed on waivers a year ago and has since become a viable option.

Ellis was not required to be spectacular against the Wild, but outside of the second goal scored by Maxim Shabanov, he was solid and came up with timely saves. The Sabres have long hoped Luukkonen would seize the undisputed number-one role; for now, they at least have three goaltenders they can trust in different situations, and Ellis showed he can help them win tight games.

The Sabres now face a demanding stretch with the struggling Dallas Stars, the Utah Mammoth and the injury-hit Florida Panthers all visiting between Thursday and Monday. If Buffalo can pair its resilience at five-on-five with even a modest improvement on the power play, the comeback against Minnesota could mark an important early step in proving last season’s rise was no one-year blip.