Butters tallied 32 disposals, four clearances and a goal in the Power's 10.17 (77) to 9.13 (67) victory, which denied the Tigers a winning start to life after Damien Hardwick.
Jason Horne-Francis (23 touches, one goal) and Connor Rozee (27 disposals, six clearances) were also key contributors as Port extended their winning streak to eight matches and further entrenched themselves in the top four.
Six of those eight wins have been by margins of 14 points or less.
Butters was clean by hand and foot at a damp MCG on Sunday when most players from both sides were plagued by skill errors, particularly in front of goal.
Richmond midfielder Tim Taranto also bucked the trend, kicking 4.1 to go with game-high tallies of 33 disposals and seven clearances.
Tigers superstar Dustin Martin (two) was the only other multiple goal-kicker.
Port Adelaide spread the scoring load with 10 individual goal-kickers as key defender Aliir Aliir stood tall at the opposite end.
Richmond's Shai Bolton kicked the game's opening goal and it took the Power 11 minutes to register their first score - a rushed behind.
But they quickly grabbed the ascendancy as Butters' run and their forward-half turnover game helped spark a five-goal surge that led to a 25-point buffer at quarter-time.
Martin marked and snapped truly from 40 metres to open the second quarter but was unusually wayward by his standards, booting 1.3 in the first half.
He wasn't alone as the Tigers posted 2.7 from 13 forward entries in wasteful second term.
Fortunately for the home side, Port Adelaide managed just 0.5 at the other end through the same period.
A pair of superb Taranto snaps either side of the main break kept Richmond in the contest and his third goal cut the margin to two points early in the final quarter.
At that point, Taranto kicked more goals than Port Adelaide's two after quarter-time.
But the visitors had Butters stand up as Ollie Lord and Jeremy Finlayson kicked steadying goals.
Horne-Francis copped some jeers throughout the afternoon from Richmond fans but had the last laugh when he sealed the result with a goal from a free kick in time-on of the final term.
Dion Prestia (29 disposals, five clearances) fought hard for the Tigers, while Toby Nankervis was involved in a tough ruck battle with Power big man Scott Lycett.
24°C