Buffalo Sabres: Owen Power continues to show flashes of brilliance
By Sion Fawkes
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power is yet another rookie who has really come into his own this season. Something he showed in yesterday’s win.
When the Buffalo Sabres snagged defenseman Owen Power with the first pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, you knew he’d be a special player eventually. And although his offensive production hasn’t been what most of us expected, mainly because of the way Don Granato and the coaching staff wanted to develop him, he’s excelled in other avenues.
On Sunday morning, we received unfortunate news regarding star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin’s undisclosed injury (day-to-day if you haven’t heard), which would keep him out for at least a game. And while Jack Quinn stepped up and excelled in place of Alex Tuch, Power did the same on the blue line as he filled in for Dahlin.
How good was Power on Sunday? Per Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News, Power’s presence at 5-on-5 led the Sabres to taking 56.41% of total shot attempts. But his performance in Sunday’s win over Washington was just one example of many for the rookie.
Buffalo Sabres rookie Owen Power has grown all season
Power’s Corsi For% at 5-on-5 sits at 53.3%, lower than the number shown above, but solid nonetheless. Despite Buffalo’s goaltenders, namely Eric Comrie and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen struggling at several points this season, the Sabres on-ice save percentage with Power on the ice at 5-on-5 sits at 91.8%, another major positive.
While he’s been caught out of position at times this season, Power has also shown ample recovery speed, the ability to get a stick on the puck to disrupt a potential shot or play, and his 63 blocks rank third on the team. This shows us that he’s routinely been a key factor in helping the Sabres keep the puck out of the net.
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Overall, Power’s play has grown this season, and this past Sunday, he showed he’s more than capable of leading the team’s defensive unit when Rasmus Dahlin goes down with an injury. As his rookie season winds down, don’t be surprised when the defenseman snags at least a top three finish for the Calder Trophy.
Source: Observations: Sabres flex their scoring depth with Dylan Cozens’ hat trick in win by Lance Lysowski, BuffaloNews.com
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