For the second straight game, the Buffalo Sabres found a way to come back after being down by multiple goals and get the win. On Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Sabres were able to get the win in regulation but against the Minnesota Wild needed the extra period.
In fact, it took almost the entire overtime period before the Sabres got the win, with Owen Power scoring with around 30 seconds left in that period. This was certainly a team effort, and everyone had to play their part to pull off a comeback against one of the better teams in the NHL.
However, these are three performances in particular that stand out for good reason, while one player is leaving Tuesday night with some concerns.
Winner: Colten Ellis
Colten Ellis got his first start of the season, and after his performance against Minnesota, it won't be his last, and maybe not too far off to his next. The Sabres' backup goalie would finish the game by stopping 18 of 20 shots.
In the first two games of the season, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen got the start for the Sabres and didn't look particularly sharp after allowing a total of eight goals. He currently has a save percentage this season of only .784, and while it is a small sample size, there is a stark contrast between Luukkonen's performance in net and Ellis' on Tuesday night.
The Sabres look like they could be getting Alex Lyon back from his injury in the near future after he was at practice on Tuesday. However, before he is fully ready to get back, it would make sense to stick with Ellis to see if he can replicate what he did against Minnesota moving forward.
Winner: Owen Power
Owen Power would end up scoring the game-winning goal in overtime and give the Sabres their first win in the overtime period since December of last year. It was a huge goal for Power, as it was his first of the season, but he has continued his incredible start to the season.
Power also added an assist in this game and has opened the season with at least one assist in each game and four total. He was on the ice for two of the three Sabres' goals, was on the ice for a team-leading nine high-danger chances and, not surprisingly, led the team in xGF at 1.95, according to Natural Stat Trick.
The Sabres saw Bowen Byram, a key part of their Top 4, depart this offseason, but they haven't really felt his absence due in large part to how Power has played this season.
Winner: Peyton Krebs
At the start of the third period, the Sabres decided to make some line changes, and one of them was pairing Rasmus Dahlin with Owen Power. That certainly worked out, but the other decision worked out just as well, with Peyton Krebs back on the top line with Tage Thompson.
Those two were together for a large chunk of last season and, in the third period, picked up right where they left off. Tage Thompson would score the game-tying goal in that period after Peyton Krebs was able to track down the loose puck and turn to find Thompson right in the slot.
Not sure what's better, the pass or the goal. 😯#LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/YLXmxxHbEw
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) October 7, 2026
The Sabres haven't gotten much from their top line this season before that goal in the third period, and Lindy Ruff might want to make this change permanent to keep the momentum going.
Loser: Josh Doan
It wasn't all good for the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night and one player who was noticeably absent in the third period was Josh Doan. He has spent most of this season on that top line with Thompson but in the third period had only three shifts, and only one in the final 17:30 of the third period.
After the game, Lindy Ruff noted that Doan is dealing with a bit of a lower-body injury and that might have contributed to the lack of ice time. However, he also hasn't been very effective at the start of the season, and once again the injury might be a factor, but the Sabres' head coach said the player will never admit it.
After such a promising season last year for Josh Doan, this season has certainly been a disappointment. There isn't any reason to panic about Doan, and it just might take some time to get going.
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