Rasmus Dahlin returned from a personal leave of absence and helped spark a thrilling comeback for the Buffalo Sabres in their 5-4 overtime victory over the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday.
Trailing 4-1 late in the second period, Dahlin lofted a shot from the point that deflected off of Sabres forward Josh Doan and into the Detroit net.
The Sabres rode that momentum to two goals in the third period – a highlight-reel score by Tage Thompson and a shorthanded breakaway for Ryan McLeod – and won the game 1:03 into overtime, when Thompson shoved a defender to the ice near the Detroit net and delivered a pass to set up Mattias Samuelsson’s goal from the high slot.
Alex Tuch also scored, while Colten Ellis made 24 saves for his second NHL win (both against Detroit) and tallied an assist on Thompson’s goal for his first NHL point.
Dahlin – who had been on leave to be with his fiancée, Carolina, as she recovers from an emergency heart transplant she underwent this past summer – skated a team-high 25:38 and had two assists.
The victory snapped a five-game winless streak for the Sabres and marked their first road win of the season, having entered the night 0-5-2 away from KeyBank Center.
While Dahlin’s presence was impactful, the Sabres’ injured list still included five key forwards at the start of the night and added another name in defenseman Michael Kesselring, who sustained a lower-body injury during the second period.
The Sabres return home to hose the Edmonton Oilers on Monday. It will be Native American Heritage Night, featuring special content and entertainment honoring the Indigenous community in Western New York.
Learn more about the night – which will include the debut of the first Community Artist Series design made in partnership with the AKG Buffalo Art Gallery – here.
Coverage on MSG begins at 6:30 p.m. with puck drop scheduled for 7.