All eight shots recorded in the overtime period came off the stick of a Sabres player, but none of their destinations were the back of the net. Senators goalie Mike Condon turned away all eight and the Ottawa Senators went on to earn a 2-1 shootout win Wednesday night in Buffalo.
The Sabres controlled the majority of the possession in the extra period and had plenty of opportunities to score the potential winner. Their best chances came within the final 60 seconds of play.
First, Sam Reinhart made am impressive inside-out move between Mark Stone and Erik Karlsson to get a good wrist shot attempt that Condon smothered.
Then with under 20 seconds remaining, captain Brian Gionta fired a shot in front of the net looking for a deflection from Zemgus Girgensons. It was struck in front by the 22-year-old and hit the post and crossbar before sitting on the goalline and then getting swept away by the Senators’ defense.
Sam Reinhart started the shootout with a goal, going five-hole on Condon, but it was the only score Buffalo would net. Kyle Okposo and Gionta looked much less impressive in their attempts that were both easily put aside by Condon.
Kyle Turris and Bobby Ryan scored the shootout goals for Ottawa.
Sabres rookie Nicholas Baptiste got the scoring going just under three minutes into the game with the 2nd goal of his young NHL career. Baptiste fired a quick wrist shot past Condon after an offensive zone faceoff win for Buffalo. Cole Schneider picked up his first career NHL point with an assist on the goal.
Evander Kane played for the first time since the Sabres first game of the season against Montreal, missing 11 games. He did not appear to be easing himself back into play as he logged 22:09 on ice, a team-high for Buffalo forwards. He made his presence felt as he showcased his size and speed combination that begs for more offensive output.
Ryan Dzingel scored the lone regulation goal for Ottawa, making a nice individual effort to split Dmitry Kulikov and Rasmus Ristolainen. He beat Robin Lehner short side on a shot that the netminder probably should have saved.
Aside from that shot, Lehner was solid in net all night finishing with 28 saves. One of his best stops came with just over eight minutes to go in the 2nd period. He came out of his net to deny Zack Smith after a poor defensive zone turnover from Buffalo.
Aside from going 8-for-8 on faceoffs in overtime, Buffalo also went 10-for-12 in the 2nd period. They are second in the league in faceoff win percentage, behind only the Ducks.
Buffalo played a very solid overall game and it was a bit disappointing to only come out with one point. The Sabres are back at KeyBank Center Friday night at 7 pm to take on the New Jersey Devils.