Buffalo Sabres: 3 positive takeaways against Toronto

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Apr 12, 2022; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power (25) skates the puck away from Toronto Maple Leafs forward Pierre Engvall (47) in the first period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /

Owen Power’s debut

In his 19:50 of ice time, rookie Owen Power looked like he belonged in his NHL debut. Predictably, the Leafs targeted him early, and Power quickly found himself on the wrong end of a two-on-one attack against the dangerous duo of Mark Giordano and Auston Matthews.

Power survived the exchange when he stifled a pass between the two, and it was at this moment when you realized just how hot of a commodity the defenseman is going to be. Power will make his mistakes, no doubt. All rookies do. But you can expect more heroic moments like Power had against Toronto.

"“Right away, there’s no panic in his game,” Alex Tuch said of Power. “I feel like he’s been in the league for 10 years already in his first game.” – via Buffalo Hockey Beat."

Power’s debut was one of the Sabres feel-good stories of 2022. He definitely gave the long-suffering franchise and their fan base a new hope that better days are around the corner. Now, Power needs to enjoy repeat performances during the upcoming two-game homestand against the St. Louis Blues and Philadelphia Flyers.

Will Power continue to live up to the expectations? We won’t need to wait long to find out when the puck drops tomorrow night at the KeyBank Center.

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