BUFFALO – Almost halfway through the third period in Game 5, Sabres defenseman Owen Power slid into the end boards as he and Montreal Canadiens winger Alexandre Tessier raced to grab a loose puck.
After getting up, Power hobbled down the tunnel before returning to the bench. During breaks in the action, he tested the injury.
He felt well enough to return for two shifts in the final six minutes of Thursday’s 6-3 loss to the Canadiens, playing 1 minute, 28 seconds.
What’s Power’s status for the Sabres’ do-or-die Game 6 on Saturday in Montreal?
“All I can offer is he said he’s feeling pretty good, better than he thought he’d feel,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said this morning in KeyBank Center.
Power has stood out throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs, morphing into the Sabres’ best defender while compiling five assists in 11 games.
The Sabres, who trail the best-of-seven second-round series, did not practice today before their flight to Montreal.