HOW IT HAPPENED
Period 1
Sandström was immediately put to the test when Detroit center Dominik Shine got a breakaway opportunity less than 20 seconds into the game. Shine's shot went glove side, but Sandström read the play well and made the save. However, the Red Wings would get on the board moments later when Michael Brandsegg-Nygard coverted on a two-on-one to give Detroit a 1-0 lead.
Graham Slaggert would even the game for Buffalo with his second goal of the preseason 5:29 into the first. Slaggert protected the puck along the right wing wall, then drove to the net. His chip-shot leaked through Alex Lyon to tie the game at 1-1.
The Red Wings nearly took the lead once more with 5:10 remaining. Facing another odd-man situation, Sandström came up with a sprawling save against Brogan Rafferty to keep the contest even.
Sandström’s save sparked momentum going the other way, and Viktor Neuchev grabbed the Sabres a 2-1 lead with under a minute to play in the first. The winger battled for a puck inside the left circle, then stickhandled his way to the front of the net before letting a backhand shot go, which got past Lyon for his first goal of the preseason with 53.5 seconds on the clock.
Period 2
The Sabres goaltender continued his solid play in-between the pipes in period two. While on a power play, the Red Wings sustained offensive zone pressure, forcing Sandström side-to-side, but the veteran goaltender stood tall for several saves on the penalty kill.
Slaggert nearly doubled the Buffalo lead in the 20th minute of the period, snatching a puck at the blue line and skating in for a breakaway. Slaggert’s wrist shot was bobbled, but ultimately stopped by Lyon.
Period 3
Detroit evened the score early in the third when Elmer Soderblom's shot beat Sandström through the five-hole, evening the score once more. William Lagesson also went in-between the legs of the Buffalo goaltender, to give the Red Wings their first lead of the night.
Slaggert tied the game with a shorthanded goal with 6:03 to play in the period. While on the man advantage, the Red Wings fumbled the puck at the top of the zone, which Slaggert jumped on, and went the other way on the breakaway. The third-year pro fired a shot five-hole that beat goaltender Jack Campbell, who took over for Lyon in the third period, to tie the game at 3-3 and subsequently forcing the preseason swansong into overtime.
“I just buried my head and skated,” said Slaggert about the hustle it took to get the shorthanded breakaway. “I hoped to be a little quicker than the other guy and thankfully I was. I think this (preseason) just kind of showed off all the work that I did in the summer. I was excited to get back here into training camp and put in good work and now I’m hoping that I can carry that into the regular season.”
Overtime
A back-and-forth overtime reached a fever pitch in the final minute. Noah Östlund navigated around the offensive zone in an effort to repeat his overtime theatrics from last Thursday in Otttawa. As a result, Östlund drew a tripping penalty to earn a four-on-three power play with 43 seconds left. As the man advantage set up, Mason Jobst found himself atop the right-wing circle. The veteran dished the puck across to Helenius, who didn’t hesitate to fire a one-timer that rang past Campbell top shelf, sealing the win on home ice.
