{{pageModel.leagueAbbr}} {{pageModel.subtitle}} | Las Vegas Review-Journal
National Hockey League
Buffalo 6, Minnesota 5
When: 7:00 PM ET, Saturday, January 7, 2023
Where: KeyBank Center, Buffalo, New York
Referees: Brandon Blandina, Kevin Pollock
Linesmen: Devin Berg, Brad Kovachik
Attendance: 19070

Victor Olofsson opened the scoring, then concluded it with 18.3 seconds remaining in overtime and Rasmus Dahlin topped the 200-career point mark with two goals and three assists Saturday night as the Buffalo Sabres beat the visiting Minnesota Wild 6-5.

In the final seconds of a frenetic extra session, Olofsson found the puck and drove it past Minnesota's Marc-Andre Fleury (31 saves) to give Buffalo a second straight win and eighth in nine games. Dahlin, who assisted on Olofsson's winner, solidified his career night by driving the puck through Fleury's legs to tie it with 2:24 left in regulation.

Tage Thompson scored his 31st goal and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 39 saves for the Sabres, who are 13-4-2 since Nov. 22.

Joel Eriksson Ek and Ryan Hartman each had a goal with an assist for Minnesota, which lost for just the third time in 12 games (9-2-1). The Wild trailed 4-2 after Buffalo scored three straight goals over a 3:25 span of the second period and were down one entering the third.

But just 26 seconds into the final period, Marcus Foligno tied it at 4-4 and Eriksson Ek beat Luukkonen with 12:12 left in regulation to give Minnesota a 5-4 edge.

Buffalo opened the scoring with seven minutes remaining in the first period on Olofsson's one-timer.

Minnesota, playing without injured star Mats Zuccarello (upper body), leveled the contest 2:52 into the second when Brandon Duhaime screened

Luukkonen, who lost sight of the puck as the Wild winger pushed it over the goal line. Less than four minutes later, the Wild went ahead via a five-on-three advantage as Kirill Kaprizov snapped his six-game road goal drought with his 23rd.

However, the Sabres scored three straight to regain the lead. Thompson one-timed a drive with 9:30 remaining in the second, and with 7:58 to go in the middle frame, Dahlin worked himself to an open place in the slot to convert. Buffalo added another less than two minutes later -- on the power play -- when Dylan Cozens dinged the post and in.

Minnesota stopped the bleeding on Hartman's net-front deflection.

-Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Minnesota   Buffalo
Joel Eriksson Ek 2 Points Rasmus Dahlin 5
Joel Eriksson Ek 1 Goals Rasmus Dahlin 2
Calen Addison 2 Assists Rasmus Dahlin 3
Joel Eriksson Ek 1 Power Play Goals Dylan Cozens 1
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Marc-Andre Fleury .838 Save Percentage Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen .886
Marc-Andre Fleury 31 Saves Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen 39
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Minnesota 44 5 2-4 1-3 6 31
Buffalo 37 6 2-3 2-4 8 29
Upcoming Games
  • Buffalo will play their next game at home against Philadelphia. The Sabres have a W/L % of .632 after a win and .444 after a loss.
  • Minnesota will play their next game at home against St. Louis. The Wild have a W/L % of .565 after a win and .600 after a loss.