Buffalo's 12 giveaways and dead power play handed Ottawa the even-strength ice it needed to turn a tie game into a statement third period.
Ottawa erased a 1-0 deficit in the final five minutes of the second period, then shut Buffalo out entirely in the third to eliminate the Atlantic Division leaders from playoff seeding contention. A first-place team with 12 giveaways and 0-for-3 power plays handed Ottawa the margins it needed.
β‘TURNING POINT
Cozens' equalizer at 15:18 of the second neutralized the only lead Buffalo generated all night, forcing a reset heading into the third with Ottawa's structure fully intact. With momentum flat and the game tied, Ottawa's third-period depth scoring became the kill shot Buffalo had no answer for.
πWHY OTT WON
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Ottawa's third-period execution was absolute: three unanswered even-strength goals in the final 14 minutes exposed Buffalo's structural collapse late in games.
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Spence logged 30:48 of ice time with a +3 rating, anchoring the defensive coverage that held Buffalo to zero third-period shots on goal from dangerous areas.
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Ullmark conceded 1.20 goals fewer than league average on 22 shots β in a four-goal game decided at even strength, that margin was outcome-defining.
πWHY BUF LOST
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Twelve giveaways against a disciplined Ottawa forecheck created sustained offensive-zone time for Ottawa and compressed Buffalo's transition game to nothing.
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Buffalo went 0-for-3 on the power play while taking 19 penalty minutes β the PIM disparity surrendered valuable 5v5 time and rhythm.
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Luukkonen conceded 0.20 goals fewer than average, meaning the goaltending did not cost Buffalo this game; the skaters did.
Three Stars
Dylan Cozens1st
OTT, C
1G6 shots on goal+116:09 TOI
His six shots generated the most sustained offensive pressure of any skater, and his goal ended Buffalo's only lead.
Jordan Spence2nd
OTT, D
1A+330:48 TOI
Spence's minutes and plus-minus reflect a shutdown presence that denied Buffalo any third-period traction.
Linus Ullmark3rd
OTT, G
SV% .95521 savesconceded 1.20 goals fewer than league average on 22 shots
That margin kept Ottawa ahead at the critical 1-1 juncture.
