Mats Zuccarello's overtime goal lifts Wild to 5-4 victory over Sabres

Sarah McLellan, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Jan 17, 2026

Published in Hockey

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The Wild snapped out of their slump in the most unlikely circumstances.

Missing their best forward line and two veteran defensemen due to injury, the Wild topped the sizzling Sabres, 5-4 in overtime, Saturday afternoon at KeyBank Center for their first victory in four games.

Mats Zuccarello scored a 4-on-4 goal 1 minute, 47 seconds into overtime after Quinn Hughes netted the equalizer late in the second period with his second goal for the Wild, who coughed up a 3-1 lead earlier in the period. The goal came a second after a Buffalo penalty ended.

Kirill Kaprizov assisted on three goals, Vladimir Tarasenko had a goal and assist and former Sabres player Marcus Foligno fell an assist short of a Gordie Howe hat trick.

Filip Gustavsson, who assisted on Zuccarello’s game-winner, turned aside 20 shots from a Buffalo team that had won 15 of its previous 17 games.

What made the matchup even more challenging for the Wild was playing without a quarter of their typical lineup.

Matt Boldy and Marcus Johansson are the latest to exit hurt, a surprising development after the two teamed up for a goal late in the 6-2 loss to Winnipeg on Thursday, Jan. 15.

“Something was bothering” Johansson the next day, coach John Hynes told reporters in Buffalo, while Boldy is dealing with a nagging issue.

Already, the Wild were down Jonas Brodin, Zach Bogosian and Joel Eriksson Ek.

Everyone has a lower-body injury, and all but Johansson are on injured reserve. Hynes said only Bogosian is a possibility to join the Wild on this three-game road trip.

How it happened

A shell of themselves, the Wild kept it simple to start, and that suited them.

Smart passing from Hughes to Ben Jones and Tarasenko led to Foligno connecting in front of Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen 9:19 into the first period.

Buffalo answered back on a bizarre sequence only 46 seconds later: After Hughes was hit and tied down by Michael Kesselring along the boards in the Sabres’ zone and Brock Faber pinched for a hit, Jack Quinn and Ryan McLeod skated in alone, with Quinn banking the puck in off McLeod. Meanwhile, behind the play, Kesselring and Foligno dropped their gloves, but their fight never happened due to the goal. The two were given unsportsmanlike conduct penalties but did fight after they left the penalty box.

The Wild regained momentum before the first ended on a quintessential Hughes assist, the defenseman spinning at the blue line before cutting back, skating up the wing and throwing the puck to the middle where it was redirected in by Ryan Hartman with eight seconds to go. Hartman has scored four times in his last six games.

Another slick passing play, this time from Jake Middleton to Danila Yurov and then captain Jared Spurgeon, found Tarasenko off the rush just 1:08 into the second.

Turning point

The Wild had a chance to extend their lead on consecutive power plays but couldn’t take advantage and finished 0 for 4.

That missed opportunity became even more of an eyesore once Buffalo rallied on two goals in 1:27.

A keep-in at the blue line by Mattias Samuelsson was tipped in by Peyton Krebs at 10:07 and then Quinn buried a loose puck in front of Gustavsson at 11:34.

Former Wild forward Alex Tuch put the Sabres ahead 4-3 with 3:53 remaining in the second on a rising shot on the power play to push his point streak to seven games; that was one of four power plays for Buffalo, with the Wild in penalty trouble for the second straight game, but many of the calls against them were questionable.

Fortunately for the Wild, Hughes responded to Tuch’s goal with a slapshot only 57 seconds later.

A hook on Tarasenko near the end of the third period meant the Wild started overtime on the power play, and after a heads-up clear by Gustavsson, Kaprizov set up Zuccarello for his eighth career OT goal.

Luukkonen totaled 20 saves.

Key stat

The Wild had 10 different players contribute on offense, including Gustavsson.

What it means

This performance should give the Wild confidence they can stay competitive despite being without their leading goal getter, two more top-five scorers and a third of their defense.

“We have capable players,” Hynes said, and the Wild were fine when they played within their structure by getting up ice with quick passes and putting the puck on net.

The Wild got in trouble when they weren’t as efficient with the puck, a reminder of how the details matter, but this game proved the Wild can have success even when they’re shorthanded: They just have to stick to their style.

Up next

The Wild move onto Toronto to face the Maple Leafs on Monday, Jan. 19, for the first time this season.