The Minnesota Wild beat the Buffalo Sabres in a shootout at the First Niagara Center Saturday afternoon. Former Sabre captain Jason Pominville netted the game-winner after shootout goals from Charlie Coyle and Buffalo’s Jack Eichel.
“At first, I was laughing at the boos,” Pominville told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “Then I kind of got focused.”
David Jones, acquired at the trade deadline from the Calgary Flames, led things off by scoring his first goal in a Minnesota uniform in the first period.
But Nino Niederreiter drew a double-minor for high-sticking in the second period and Buffalo capitalized, with goals from former Wild second-round pick Johan Larsson and Eichel scored on both power plays to take a 2-1 lead — continuing a trend of poor penalty killing for Minnesota, which ranks 28th in the league.
“We’ve got to be better at it,” Mikko Koivu told the Star Tribune.
Koivu tied the game 2-2 on a power play goal at 14:19 in the third and Pominville sealed it in a shootout.
“I think there have been a lot of times this year where we’ve been in that situation and not gotten it done,” Devan Dubnyk told the St. Paul Pioneer Press, referring to the comeback victory. “It’s usually what we’re really good at, so it’s nice. That’s what we need this time of year.”
[Star Tribune, Pioneer Press]
