Noah Ostlund played a key role in the Buffalo Sabres’ 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday at KeyBank Center. The 21-year-old forward, who has taken on a larger role due to injuries among the team’s forwards, scored two goals in the win.
Ostlund’s teammate Beck Malenstyn commented on his presence both on and off the ice: “He has such good vision, he probably doesn’t need to say much (on the ice), either. He’s in the right spot. A lot of the time you’re able to see him, you know he’s supporting you. So, yeah, heck of a player.”
The Sabres are currently dealing with several injuries, but saw positive signs as Josh Norris and Jason Zucker returned to practice after absences due to injury and illness. Despite these setbacks, depth players stepped up against Edmonton.
In addition to Ostlund’s two goals, Malenstyn scored his first goal of the season with a deflection, while Bowen Byram contributed from defense. Rookie goaltender Colten Ellis made 32 saves for his third win in four games.
Sabres stars also made an impact. Tage Thompson extended his goal streak to three games with an empty-net goal, and Rasmus Dahlin recorded two assists for a second consecutive game.
Ostlund reflected on his performance after scoring from close range during a power play: “I mean,” Ostlund said. “Their defense were pretty aggressive and stood pretty high. I saw the opening and took it.”
Head coach Lindy Ruff explained that injuries have given younger players like Ostlund and Isak Rosen more responsibility: “I think any young player, usually when they’re brought up, it’s kind of a limited role. Because of the amount of injuries and the type of people we’ve lost, they’ve been cast in a real big role, and they’ve given us as much as they could. … They’re making steps toward being a regular NHL player.”
The Sabres also succeeded defensively by limiting Connor McDavid—who is among league leaders in points—to no points for just the fourth time this season. Mattias Samuelsson matched up most often against McDavid and helped restrict scoring opportunities during those minutes.
Goaltender Colten Ellis was praised by Ruff for his puck management under pressure: “I think that he was able to sense a little bit of danger at times, and whether he broke the puck out or whether he just held it for a whistle, there was times where he knew what we needed,” Ruff said.
Malenstyn celebrated breaking his own scoreless streak after 17 games without a goal: “May have been bigger than a monkey,” he said about lifting pressure off himself with Monday’s tally.
The Sabres will continue their homestand Wednesday against the Calgary Flames with coverage beginning at 7 p.m.
