On Saturday, January 17, 2026, the Minnesota Wild secured a thrilling 5-4 victory over the Buffalo Sabres at the KeyBank Center. The game was a back-and-forth battle, with both teams trading goals and showcasing their offensive prowess. But it was Mats Zuccarello who made the difference, scoring the winning goal just 1:47 into overtime, ending the Wild's three-game winless streak.
The Wild's offensive attack was led by Kirill Kaprizov, who dished out three assists, and Marcus Foligno, Ryan Hartman, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Quinn Hughes, who all found the back of the net. Filip Gustavsson was stellar in net, making 20 saves to secure the win. For the Sabres, Ryan McLeod, Peyton Krebs, Jack Quinn, and Alex Tuch scored, with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen making 20 saves of his own.
The game started with a bang as Foligno gave the Wild the lead at 9:19 of the first period. However, McLeod quickly tied the game 46 seconds later. Hartman then put the Wild ahead with eight seconds left in the first period, and Tarasenko extended their lead to 3-1 in the second period. Krebs and Quinn kept the Sabres in the game, cutting the lead to 3-2 and then tying the game 1:27 later. Tuch's power-play goal with 3:53 to go gave the Sabres a 4-3 lead, but Hughes' slap shot goal with 2:56 to go in the second period tied the game again at 4-4.
The Wild will continue their three-game road trip in Toronto on Monday, while the Sabres will open a five-game road trip in Carolina on Monday. This game was a testament to the Wild's resilience and ability to bounce back from a winless streak, and it will be interesting to see how both teams fare in their upcoming road trips.
