Montreal, QC (WGR) – The Buffalo Sabres are in Montreal on Friday for an optional practice after another come from behind win in Toronto. The Sabres have come from two goals down in the third period in four of the eight games going 3-0-1. Jack Quinn was an absolute force in this game just imposing his will on the Maple Leafs scoring two goals with two assists and he even got in a fight with Troy Stecher. Quinn now has six points in his last three games.
Owen Power netted his second overtime goal of the season and he was set up on a beautiful pass from Quinn. The right winger was on a line with Noah Ostlund and Zach Benson. Both Ostlund and Benson had two assists and they were plus-11 as a line. Quinn, Power and Tage Thompson are Buffalo’s leading scorers with eight points in eight games.
About a week ago Lindy Ruff said he pulled Benson and Josh Doan into his office and told them they need to be first on battles and harder on battles because that’s their game. They also needed to stay in the battle longer. Benson absolutely got the message. since then he’s been a menace around the net and has been a bulldog along the walls. In this game he stole the puck from Nick Blankenburg behind the net and calmly fed Quinn in front to tie the score at one.
On Quinn’s second goal, Benson took Stecher with him to the net and provided a great moving screen on Sergei Bobrovsky. On Dennis Gilbert’s goal Benson planted himself in Morgan Rielly’s lap with in front of Bobrovsky who never saw the shot.
One thing that seemed to go unnoticed was after Auston Matthews was left alone for a layup goal just 2:24 into the game, is he was never a factor again. The Sabres took his ice away and never let him get going.
Not only is Power Buffalo’s leading scorer, he’s been fantastic in both the offensive and defensive zones. With Rasmus Dahlin still out injured Power played 28:01. After the game I asked him if he’s getting tired,
“I feel good, there are a couple of us that are trying to fill what he does and for me it’s fun when you’re playing a lot of minutes, it’s easy to get into the game it’s been fun.”
Jiri Kulich was in the morning skate, but left early because he didn’t feel well. With what happened to him last year the team sent him back to Buffalo for testing. Ruff said the tests were negative. On Friday Ruff told reporters they’re going to try to get Kulich back for Saturday’s game. Josh Norris went into concussion protocol after the game. The Sabres tweeted out a picture of Norris at Friday’s practice.
At 4-3-1 Buffalo is three points behind the first place Ottawa Senators in the Atlantic Division.