Ottawa, ON – Chris Neil's second-period goal proved to be the difference, as the Ottawa Senators held off the Buffalo Sabres, 4-3, on Tuesday at Scotiabank Place.
Erik Karlsson, Chris Phillips and Daniel Alfredsson each scored once, while Peter Regin added a pair of assists for the Senators, who snapped a two-game skid.
Craig Anderson saved 20 shots in the triumph.
"Our guys were doing whatever it takes," Anderson said of the victory. "Everyone did their little part to help the team win, and we were all pulling on that rope in the same direction."
Jordan Leopold registered a goal and an assist, while Tyler Ennis and Jason Pominville also lit the lamp for the Sabres, who have lost three straight and seven of their last eight since opening the season with back-to-back wins.
Jhonas Enroth allowed four goals on 24 shots in the setback.
"I know I have to be better," Enroth said. "I have to fight for my crease and stand taller in the net. It's been a long time [since I've had a win]. But I still think I can play in this league and play very well. I'm still trusting myself and I'm not going to give up."
The Senators struck first while on the power play when Karlsson rifled a shot from the high slot that found the top left corner of the net at the 8:15 mark, but Buffalo answered less than 30 seconds later when Ennis jammed home a rebound off a Drew Stafford shot to knot the game at the 8:36 mark.
Ottawa then scored a pair of goals just over three minutes apart to grab a two-goal advantage.
The first came off an offensive zone faceoff win, as Regin won the draw back to Phillips, who wristed a quick shot from the top of the right circle that slipped through the armpit of Enroth and trickled across the goal line to make it 2-1 at the 11:05 mark.
Ottawa then doubled its advantage when Mika Zibanejad came up with a steal deep in the Buffalo zone and slid a quick pass to Alfredsson in the slot. Alfredsson then wristed one just inside the left post to push the lead to 3-1 at the 14:15 mark.
Neil's wrister from the slot at the 8:12 mark of the second made it a 4-1 game, but Buffalo responded just under a minute later when Leopold tipped-in a Jochen Hecht pass from the right circle to make it 4-2 at the 9:09 mark.
The Sabres trimmed the margin to one late in the third when Cody Hodgson slid a pass from the left of the net through the slot to Pominville cutting to the net. Pominville got his stick on the puck before it deflected off his skate and snuck across the goal line to bring Buffalo within 4-3 at the 13:55 mark.
Buffalo nearly knotted the game with under a minute left after Enroth went to the bench in favor of the extra attacker, but the Sabres couldn't get the puck through a bevy of Senators in front of the net to keep the margin at 4-3.
Game Notes
Buffalo forward Thomas Vanek, who had registered at least one point in every game this season, did not record a point in just over 20 minutes of ice time ... Ottawa improved to 4-0-1 as the host this season ... Buffalo finished 0- for-4 on the power play, while Ottawa went 1-for-2.
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