Lehner's strong effort comes up short in OT loss to Sens

OTTAWA - It was the kind of game that a team likes to win for its goaltender. The Buffalo Sabres were far from at their best against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, but still looked primed to steal a win late in the game thanks to a stellar night in net from Robin Lehner.
Instead, they had to settle for a point. Derick Brassard scored for Ottawa to tie the game with 30.9 seconds remaining in regulation and Mike Hoffman beat Lehner with a one-time shot from deep in the right faceoff circle in overtime, clinching a 3-2 win for the Senators at Canadian Tire Centre.
Lehner began the night with 5-0-2 record against his former club, and he made several key saves to keep the Sabres in a game in which they were outshot 36-25.

"He played terrific," alternate captain Kyle Okposo said. "He always seems to bring his best against Ottawa and he brought it tonight. It's unfortunate we couldn't get the win for him."

Lehner took a shutout into the third period, at which point the Sabres held a 1-0 lead on the strength of a first-period goal from Scott Wilson. Marian Gaborik - making his Senators debut after being dealt from Los Angeles on Tuesday - scored on a deflection to tie the game 5:15 into the third period.
The Sabres very nearly restored their lead on a power play later in the period, but three shots - from Okposo, Evan Rodrigues and Ryan O'Reilly - either hit the post or cross bar and deflected wide. It wasn't until Rodrigues shot on a 4-on-2 rush with 4:29 remaining that a deflection finally went their way.

Rodrigues' goal gave the Sabres a late lead, but even then, they knew their play was a departure from the hard-checking, detail-oriented game that defined recent wins over Boston and Tampa Bay. Their game plan had been to get pucks deep; instead they forced plays that fed Ottawa's transition.
"We got exactly what we deserved," Sabres coach Phil Housley said. "The compete and the battles, they won the majority of them. Even though we found a way to get a 2-1 lead, to me, we've played much better than that the last three, four games and we got away from what made us successful."
In addition to their lack of execution coming out of their own zone, minor penalties made it difficult for the Sabres to establish an offensive rhythm. They were forced to kill four power plays in the first two periods, and while they were successful each time, the time spent shorthanded had its effect.
The Sabres generated just four shots in the second period, a span in which Okposo felt his team was "dominated."
"It wasn't a clean game," Okposo said. "We didn't execute very well. I thought our effort at times, it was just sporadic. ... We've got to be better for 60. We can't just play in spurts and think we're going to win."
Lehner made a number of big stops to help the Sabres maintain their lead, including a pair of breakaway stops on former teammate Zack Smith. He finished the night with 33 saves.

"He kept us in the game," Rodrigues said. "Those are the games you like to win for your goalie, when maybe we're not playing our best and you find a way to win. We were close, but those are the games you want to win for him."

Wilson stays hot

With his goal in the first period, Wilson now has four points (3+1) in his last four games. The play began when Johan Larsson poked a bouncing puck free from Ottawa's defenders as they backed into their own zone. Wilson, trailing, collected the puck and picked the top corner.

Wilson now has point in five straight road games.

Up next

The Sabres return home Saturday for an afternoon matchup with the Los Angeles Kings. Coverage on MSG-B begins at 12:30 p.m., or you can listen live on WGR 550. Puck drop is scheduled for 1 p.m.
The homestand continues Monday with a 3 p.m. game against Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. The Sabres will wear their white Winter Classic jerseys for that game, while fans in attendance will receive a Winter Classic jersey towel.
The games on Saturday and Monday will both be Kids Days at KeyBank Center. More information can be found here.