When Owen Power steps off the ice after a game with the Buffalo Sabres, no matter the result, he asks their defense coach, Marty Wilford, for video clips to study.
Power is a perfectionist, like his teammate Rasmus Dahlin, a fellow No. 1 draft pick who ascended to the upper echelon of NHL defensemen through perseverance and patience. Both remind Wilford of Duncan Keith, a three-time Stanley Cup champion and future Hall of Famer whom he played with in the American Hockey League almost 20 years ago.
“(Duncan) used to drive me nuts because he talked about this little play and that little play, but he was so driven to be exceptional and be the best,” said Wilford, who joined the Sabres’ coaching staff at the start of the 2021-22 season. “That’s like those two guys. You see the work and commitment they put in to be … awesome.”
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Dahlin, now 22, has experience on his side. He’s played under three head coaches, learned different defensive-zone structures and experienced the hard lessons that come with defending against the best in the world as a teenager. His development into a first-pair, hard-to-play-against defenseman wasn’t linear. There were many difficult nights before he began to shatter more records and enter the Norris Trophy conversation.
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power talks after practice on the first day of training camp, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022.
Power, on the other hand, is only 19 years old, yet he’s shouldering the responsibility of someone with far more games in the league. His 22:29 of average ice time per game ranks second on the Sabres and first among all NHL rookies. His five points are second among all rookie defensemen behind Minnesota’s Calen Addison.
Any mistakes committed by Power across his first 10 games were overshadowed by the poise he has with the puck and his often flawless execution of subtle details that allow him to play a prominent role despite having only 18 games of NHL experience. He never forgets the errors, though, even if they are inconsequential in the result of the game for the Sabres (7-3), who face the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night.
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power celebrates a goal during the third period.
His determination to be better away from the puck, combined with the work he puts in on the ice and in the video room, led to his best performance to date Wednesday night. Not only did Power make a highlight-reel pass to set up the tying goal, but he helped shut down the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third period and finished with 23:51 of ice time.
“He can be hard on himself,” Wilford told The Buffalo News. “But you know, you’ve got to remind him he's 19 years old. He's playing against the top athletes in the world. What has [the Penguins won]? A couple Stanley Cups. Look at their resume and the games they've played and what they've learned along the way.”
Power has encountered adversity early in his first full season in the NHL. His defense partner, Henri Jokiharju, has missed the past six games with an upper-body injury. There have been several instances of bad puck luck, like the Sabres’ 3-2 loss to Montreal last Thursday when a rebound ricocheted off Power’s skate and into the net.
Injuries to Jokiharju, Mattias Samuelsson and Ilya Lyubushkin have caused Power to skate at least 20 minutes in nine of 10 games this season. He leads all rookies in 5-on-5 ice time and no first-year player has been on the ice for more 5-on-5 goals scored by their team than him. Power has helped the Sabres rank 10th in goals allowed per game (2.8).
Power wasn’t thinking about the offensive side of his game when preparing for the Penguins. He wanted to shut down their top players, harnessing the lessons learned through watching video with Wilford and development coach Dan Girardi.
The Sabres had twice as many 5-on-5 shot attempts (6-3) when Power was on the ice against Penguins defenseman Kris Letang, his most common opponent Wednesday night. Pittsburgh had only two shot attempts when Evgeni Malkin was trying to score against Power. And a change in defense pairings didn’t stifle Power’s progress, either.
Skating next to Lawrence Pilut in the second and third periods, the duo was on the ice together for three Sabres goals. The team had 70% of the 5-on-5 shot attempts with them on the blue line during a third period in which the Penguins had only seven shots on goal.
Alex Tuch fits so seamlessly with this team that it feels like he has been around for several years, writes Mike Harrington.
“It's getting a lot better,” Power noted afterward. “I think tonight was my best game of the season so hopefully I can just build off it and keep getting better.”
"I thought last night was an outstanding game," Wilford said following practice Thursday. "The things that we work on, talk about, thinking more about the play without the puck, and that's where it's going to continue to (be a process)."
No amount of summer workouts or college games could prepare Power for defending against players like Malkin and Sidney Crosby. Power had to adjust to killing plays in the defensive zone when forwards with elite speed are carrying the puck down the ice in every situation, including the rush.
Power, listed at 6-foot-6, 218 pounds, studies his own play to better understand how to handle different situations in games. He’s also among the first Sabres on the ice at each practice, working relentlessly to improve at the nuances of his position.
Strong play defensively against Pittsburgh seemed to fuel Power’s confidence with the puck. He had a season-high four shots on goal and ran the Sabres’ offense with precision. Power froze the Penguins with a fake shot before sending the puck across the zone to Victor Olofsson, whose one-timer into the partially empty net tied the score.
what a fake shot/pass from Owen Power to Vic O, tied at 3-3. goalie had no chance. #LetsGoBuffalo #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/Ewz3p6kDsi
— Buffalo Hockey moments (@SabresPlays) November 3, 2022
“What he did last night, you don't teach that stuff,” Wilford said. “That's just naturally gifted. And Dahls is the same. They’re just gifted that way. But we continually work with them on, ‘We want you to have the puck, so how are we going to get it back faster?’
“When you're feeling good about your 200-foot game, that's when the offense is easier, for sure. You feel good about your entire game. Everything feels just a little bit easier.”
Teammates are in awe of the poise Power shows on the ice. He never appears rattled or frustrated. A bad play doesn’t spiral into a bad period. But they’re also in awe that he’s not close to reaching his ceiling.
Sabres winger Alex Tuch beamed at his dressing-room stall Wednesday night when recalling how he couldn’t even see Olofsson from the bench when Power feathered the pass that led to the tying goal. While they marvel over Power’s play each night, he’s always focused on what’s next and how to continue his ascent.
“It was an unbelievable play, honest to God,” Tuch said with a grin. “It was amazing. That’s just scratching the surface, honestly. And I see he’s elevating each and every game and he’s starting to get that confidence, he’s starting to make plays like that and he’s starting to hold onto the puck. It’s scary because he’s already making these plays and he’s already having a huge effect on the game.”
Injury updates
Lyubushkin (lower body) returned to practice Thursday and remains day to day, according to the Sabres. His status for Friday against Carolina and Saturday in Tampa Bay won’t be determined until the team sees how Lyubushkin responds to on-ice workouts.
Jokiharju (upper body) didn’t join the Sabres on the two-game road trip, but he might be ready to return to practice next week. Jokiharju has responded well to rehab skates recently, a promising step after he was struck in the face with the puck in Calgary on Oct. 20.
