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Buffalo Sabres: Owen Power’s rookie season trending north

By Sion Fawkes

BUFFALO, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 15: Owen Power #25 and Tage Thompson #72 of the Buffalo Sabres celebrate their assists after a goal by Alex Tuch during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Vancouver Canucks at KeyBank Center on November 15, 2022 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Joshua Bessex/Getty Images)
BUFFALO, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 15: Owen Power #25 and Tage Thompson #72 of the Buffalo Sabres celebrate their assists after a goal by Alex Tuch during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Vancouver Canucks at KeyBank Center on November 15, 2022 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Joshua Bessex/Getty Images) /
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Owen Power took the NHL by storm during his eight-game trial last season, logging two goals and an assist in those contests for the Buffalo Sabres. 

During the first handful of games this season, Owen Power struggled. I expected it, even if many in the Buffalo Sabres faithful did not, nearly to the point they started pushing the panic button.

As of late, Power, predictably, is starting to figure out after just his 24th NHL game. And while he has yet to score a goal this season, his on-ice presence has been a lifesaver for the Sabres. Just last night, Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News reported that Power logged 26:49 of ice time, finishing second among Sabres defensemen only to Dahlin.

But Power was even better than advertised. He was just one of two defensemen to log a point in the Sabres loss to the Canucks. He also finished the game with a plus-3 rating, and the Canucks seemed to be unable to find the net against Power, as four of their five goals occurred when he was off the ice.

Owen Power keeps getting better for the Buffalo Sabres

Last night’s solid outing was no outlier, as Power has been steadily improving since the puck first dropped on October 13th. In 16 games this season, Power is third on the team with 21 blocks, behind Rasmus Dahlin (32) and Jacob Bryson (26). He is sixth in point shares with 1.2, and behind only Dahlin among Sabres defensemen. And finally, he is tied with Kyle Okposo for fourth on the team with eight assists.

No, Power has not found the back of the net. But his ability to distribute the puck and his on-ice presence is making one of the league’s top contenders for the Calder Trophy a more formidable opponent with each passing game.

Must Read. Sabres top line is a beacon of light in the dark times. light

While Power still has a long way to go in his development, I am curious to see what his play looks like as the season wears on. If he has looked this good after 16 games, what will he bring to the table come the new year? We only need to wait another seven weeks.

Article Source: Observations: Sabres stumble again as Canucks hand Buffalo its sixth straight defeat by Mike Harrington 

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