The Red Wings comeback twice and win in OT thanks to two power play goals
Alex DeBrincat did what he did 41 times last season, put the puck in the net. His latest goal was the game winner to complete the comeback 3-2 victory for the Detroit Red Wings over the Buffalo Sabres.
Early on, it was a back-and-forth game, with some bad play in the neutral zone from both sides. That is expected in the preseason with a lot of youth and around half of the players rostered that will be in the NHL on opening night.
The Sabres scored first, taking advantage of a turnover on the boards deep in the Red Wings zone. Carter Mazur for the Wings gave up the puck and it ended up in the corner on Sabre Justin Danforth’s stick. Wings goalie Daniil Tarasov tipped it in front of his own net, and Trevor Kuntar snapped a shot high glove side to give the Sabres a 1-0 lead with 9:12 left in the first period.
The Red Wings power play that was so potent for the first half of last season evened the game with 3:49 left in the first period. Emmitt Finnie won the faceoff drawing the puck back to Anton Johansson, he slid the puck across to the left side where Axel Sandin-Pellikka was waiting for a one-timer that went through the hole between goalie Alex Lyon’s arm and body.
With two minutes left in the opening stanza, the Sabres goalie Lyon froze the puck and then left the game with an injury. No official report has been issued, though it seemed like an upper body injury. Colten Ellis relieved Lyon in net for the rest of the game.
The only goal in the middle period gave the Sabres a 2-1 lead just :33 into the second. The Wings got caught and gave up a two on one odd man rush. Lucas Raymond had a shot blocked and Jiri Kulich took it the rest of the way, sneaking a wrist shot by Wing’s goalie Daniil Tarasov.
Sheldon Dries tied the game for the Wings with 12:47 left in the final period. Dries tipped a shot from Jacob Bryson and the puck found its way to the back of the net.
It didn’t take long for the Wings to end it in overtime. They had :41 seconds left of a power play left from regulation, they only needed :33. Raymond found DeBrincat on the left side of the net waiting for a one-timer, he didn’t miss. He buried the puck in the back of the net for the game winning goal and a 3-2 Red Wing victory.
