Owen Power Clears for Game 6: Sabres' Defensive Spine Intact in Elimination Spot

Owen Power will suit up for Saturday's Game 6 elimination contest in Montreal, head coach Lindy Ruff confirmed. The No. 1 overall pick from 2021 appeared to suffer a significant knee injury late in Buffalo's Game 5 loss when he collided awkwardly with the boards, his right leg bending in a way that sent him to the tunnel for evaluation. The reprieve is massive: Power is Buffalo's most reliable blueliner and the engine of their transition game, and losing him for a playoff series would have crippled their depth chart.

Power's availability reshuffles the injury calculus for both teams. Buffalo enters Game 6 without the weight of a banged-up roster—a meaningful advantage in a win-or-go-home scenario where roster depth compounds pressure. Montreal, meanwhile, no longer gets the strategic gift of facing the Sabres' second-pairing options in extended minutes. Power's presence forces the Canadiens to navigate his positioning on the power play and his ability to initiate breakouts from the blue line, a skill that carries direct leverage in a seven-game series hanging by a thread.

The injury scare also reframes Power's minutes and usage for Game 6. With a confirmed availability status rather than a question mark, Ruff can deploy him with full confidence in high-leverage situations rather than managing minutes out of precaution. This becomes relevant to Montreal's penalty kill unit, which will face Power operating at full capacity on the man-advantage—no conservation, no minutes management. Power logged roughly 23 minutes per game in the series prior; expect the coaching staff to keep him available for game-deciding moments in the final period.

From a betting lens, Power's return lightens the load on Buffalo's defensive assignments and should stabilize their expected goals against profile. Montreal's offense has benefited from power-play opportunities generated against a potentially compromised Sabres blue line. With Power fully operational, the Canadiens' man-advantage efficiency becomes more dependent on execution rather than roster advantage. Back Power's blocked-shots line at 2.5+ for Game 6—he's logged 3-4 blocks in each playoff game this series when fully healthy, and Saturday's elimination urgency will push him into a heavy workload. His presence should also tighten Buffalo's team total under projections; a healthy Power limits odd-man rushes and defensive chaos that inflate scoring volume in tight games.