In a nail-biter at the KeyBank Center, the Buffalo Sabres clawed their way to a 3-2 overtime victory against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, bucking a lukewarm post-All-Star break run. Dylan Cozens pulled the game back from the brink with a last-minute goal, tying the score with just 37 seconds left on the clock, while Henri Jokiharju delivered the OT winner 1:29 into the extra period, as reported by the Chronicle Online.
The Wild came into the game riding a four-game winning streak, but that was ultimately snapped by the Sabres, who with this victory, managed to bookend their five-game stretch post-All-Star break with wins. Standing tall between the pipes, Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 31 saves, a key factor in the team's success on the night. After a tense standoff resulting in two scoreless periods, Casey Mittelstadt broke the ice by scoring early in the third period for the Sabres, as per CBS News Minnesota.
The Wild were quick to respond, however, with Joel Eriksson Ek and rookie Declan Chisholm finding the back of the net, building a 2-1 lead that looked solid until the dying moments of regulation. Cozens' critical goal sent the match to overtime, culminating in Jokiharju's winning wrist shot that sealed the deal for the Sabres. Originally, Jordan Greenway was credited with the game-tying goal before it was rightfully assigned to Cozens. "You do the right things and success usually comes with it,” Greenway said, according to CBS News Minnesota.
On the flip side, the Wild's Filip Gustavsson recorded 25 saves in a valiant effort. While Sabres' Tage Thompson initially appeared to score in the first, a challenge by the Wild revealed a Sabres skater had been offside and the goal was nullified, shared both news sources. "Weird wave of emotions coming in," said Chisholm, reflecting on his mix of post-goal jubilation and the disappointment of a tough loss, as stated in the Chronicle Online.
