Sabres’ Owen Power available for Game 6 against Canadiens
The Buffalo Sabres got good injury news ahead of a Game 6 in which they face elimination against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.
Head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters, including Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic, earlier Saturday that defenseman Owen Power will be available for the must-win contest at the Bell Centre.
The news suggests that Power avoided serious injury in Game 5, when he went awkwardly into the boards, causing what appeared to be an unnatural bend at the knee in his right leg. The No. 1 overall pick from the 2021 NHL Draft tried to continue on with his shift, but was clearly laboring and went down the tunnel for further evaluation after the whistle.
Power was able to return to the game, but required treatment afterward.
This does not look good Owen Power goes into the boards very awkwardly, and heads right into the tunnel
Power wrapped his fourth full NHL season with 8 goals and 21 assists for 29 points in 81 games played. In the playoffs, between the Sabres’ series against Boston and Montreal, Power has 5 points, all assists, in 11 contests.
Buffalo earned a key win in Game 4 on the road to quiet the Bell Centre crowd and tie the series at two games apiece, but a terribly uninspiring performance on home ice on Thursday night led to a 6-3 loss that put them a game away from elimination.
Now, Buffalo is looking to stay alive in its first appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2011, and with a win, they’d force a Game 7 back home at KeyBank Arena.
The winner of this series between the Canadiens and the Sabres will square off against the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final. The Hurricanes are the No. 1 seed in the East, and they went 8-0 by sweeping their first two series against Ottawa and Philadelphia.
Game 1 of the East Final will be in Raleigh on Tuesday if Montreal wins Saturday, or on Thursday if Buffalo forces a Game 7.