Rasmus Dahlin shot 48 seconds into overtime and led the Buffalo Sabers to a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday night.
Casey Mittelstadt had a goal and an assist, and Jeff Skinner scored in the rules for the Sabers, who have won four of their last five games. Craig Anderson made 30 saves for his 20th win.
“I felt good today to be honest,” Dahlin said. “We won. It was a hell of a game of ours. We fought the whole 60 (minutes) and a little bit more, so one felt really good.
JT Miller had a goal and an assist, and Bo Horvat scored a power play in the second period for the Canucks. Thatcher Demko stopped 26 shots. Vancouver lost three straight and completed its seven-game home game 2-3-2.
“Until we find a way to get out there and take control of the game in our home country, I think we’ll have a lot of problems,” Miller said. “It’s too hard for every game in this league to come back.”
Buffalo started the overtime with patience, waiting for their own end and drawing spectators in front of the crowd before letting themselves work on the ice, where Dahlin snatched a shot from the slot to hit the demo with the winner .
“Anyone who had any doubts about Rasmus Dahlin just watched that game tonight. He was amazing on both sides,” said Sabers coach Don Granato. “He just slipped and I said to the team after the game, ‘Why did you wait so long?’ Because he has some great players up for grabs.
Miller almost finished the game with 74 seconds to go into regulation, and made his way into the net in traffic. Anderson stopped the shot but could not contain the rebound and the loose puck is currently hanging in the fill surrounded by heavy traffic.
The Sabers shot just 1:50 into the game after the Canucks turned the puck on their own blue line. Downtown jumped his defender before firing a shot past Demko from the high slot.
Miller put the Canucks 2:31 in second, picked up a pass from Connor Garland and muscled himself in before shooting a shot past Anderson. The shot hit the back of the Buffalo net and ricocheted so fast that the game continued for a few moments before the goal was called.
Buffalo’s second goal of the night came during a 4-on-4 hockey game after Garland and Buffalo’s Dylan Cozens were called up for roughing. A Canucks clearing attempt went awry, with Juho Lammikko digging the puck behind the net and sending it to Tyler Myers as he fell in front of the Vancouver net. The Canucks defender could not jump back in time to stop Skinner to get on the loose puck and Skinner scored a shot past Demko at 3:55.
Vancouver challenged for an offside zone entry to the game. After an extended review, officials found that it was a good goal and the Canucks received a small penalty for delaying the game.
Horvat tied it at 2 with a power-play goal in the middle of the second after Skinner was called to hook.
Miller said the Canucks track is hard to accept.
“Because for me, I think it’s effort based,” Miller said. “I think it’s the will to play in the playoffs and beat your opponents. We talked about how late in the season each team is good, there is no excuse.
“I think they wanted it more than we do today.”
NOTE: Will Butcher is back in the Sabers lineup after missing 19 games with a lower body injury. … The Canucks made some craftsmen on Sunday, buying defender Travis Dermott of Toronto for a third-round pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Vancouver also has veteran blue lines Travis Hamonic in Ottawa for a third-round pick. … Granato is the older brother of Canucks Assistant General Manager Cammi Granato.
OP Next
Sabers: Host Pittsburgh Wednesday night.
Canucks: Pa. Colorado Wednesday night.
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