Wild Triumph Over Sabres in Overtime
On Saturday afternoon, the Minnesota Wild triumphed over the Buffalo Sabres with a 5-4 victory, capped by an overtime goal from Mats Zuccarello just 1:47 into the extra period. The decisive strike came during a power-play opportunity, facilitated by Kirill Kaprizov, who recorded three assists in the match. This win was crucial for the Wild as it snapped their three-game streak without a victory.
Game Highlights
Scoring for Minnesota were Marcus Foligno, Ryan Hartman, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Quinn Hughes, while Filip Gustavsson turned away 20 shots in goal. The Sabres, who had been enjoying a strong run with only two prior losses in their last 17 games, saw their offense driven by Ryan McLeod, Peyton Krebs, Jack Quinn, and Alex Tuch. Goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 20 saves but couldn’t prevent his team’s third loss during that stretch.
Scoring Summary
The game’s scoring kicked off with Foligno netting the initial goal at 9:19 in the first period. However, McLeod equalized just 46 seconds later, igniting a back-and-forth contest. Hartman regained the lead for the Wild with a goal just before the first period ended, tapping in a precise pass from Hughes. Tarasenko increased the Wild’s advantage to 3-1 early in the second period. The Sabres responded with a strong push, as Krebs and Quinn scored within minutes of each other to tie the game, before Tuch’s power-play goal pushed the Sabres ahead 4-3 with under four minutes remaining in the second frame. Yet, Hughes leveled the score again with a slap shot late in the period.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, the Wild will continue their road trip with a matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday, while the Sabres will embark on a five-game road trip, starting with a game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
