Noah Ostlund scored in the fourth round of the shootout to secure a 3-2 victory for the Buffalo Sabres over the Minnesota Wild at Grand Casino Arena on Saturday. This win ended Minnesota’s seven-game winning streak.
The Sabres entered the third period trailing 2-1, despite having more high-danger scoring chances than their opponent. In a turn of events, Josh Doan’s shot deflected off the glass and was inadvertently put into Minnesota’s net by Mats Zuccarello, tying the game with just under 14 minutes left in regulation.
Both teams had opportunities during overtime but were unable to score. In the shootout, Tage Thompson and Jack Quinn also converted their attempts before Ostlund secured the win with a move to his forehand past goaltender Filip Gustavsson.
Buffalo outshot Minnesota 32-24 and held a significant advantage in high-danger chances. Beck Malenstyn recorded his third goal in seven games, while Peyton Krebs reached his 100th NHL point with an assist.
Colten Ellis made his first start since November 19 and finished with 22 saves, including early stops against Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy.
This marks only Buffalo’s second road win this season; prior to this game, they had one win in nine away contests. In each of their previous eight road losses, they had either been tied or within one goal late in those games.
The Sabres will return home to face the Winnipeg Jets on Monday before starting a six-game road trip beginning Wednesday in Philadelphia.
Coverage of Monday’s game against Winnipeg begins at 7 p.m., with puck drop scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
