Sabres unable to answer 1st-period run in loss to Senators

OTTAWA - Tyler Ennis ignited a first-period run of three goals for the Ottawa Senators in a span of 2:55, a stretch from which the Sabres never recovered in a 5-0 loss at Canadian Tire Center on Tuesday.
Ennis also scored during the final minute of the third period to complete a hat trick. Tim Stutzle and Alex Formenton also scored goals for the Senators while Matt Murray made 32 saves for the shutout.
"I think we have a good start, we don't get one to go in, and they get one and it deflates the bench rather than give us some energy and, pardon my language, a little kick in the ass," forward Casey Mittelstadt, who returned from a 16-game absence, said.
"I think that's been one of the problems for a lot of the year. So, eventually it's got to turn. We've got to suck it up and start playing and you go to battle and get the next one back."

The Sabres nearly scored the first goal when Jeff Skinner buried his own rebound on a breakaway during the first period, but officials had blown the play dead due to an injured Senators player on the opposite end of the ice. Mittelstadt also saw a shot hit the far-side post before Ennis opened the scoring.
Ennis tapped in his first goal on the rush with 4:07 remaining in the first period. Tim Stutzle scored on a power play less than two minutes later, followed by second goal from Ennis before intermission.
The Senators continued to apply pressure during the second period, generating a 26-8 advantage in shot attempts at 5-on-5 according to Natural Stat Trick. Formenton buried a return pass from Stutzle on a 2-on-1 rush to extend their lead to 4-0.
"We had plenty of chances," Sabres coach Don Granato said. "We had a goal that the whistle was blown early. We could have been up 1-0 there and probably should have, but it happens.
"… The way we didn't respond is an indicator to me that we didn't have a strong enough foundation going into the game for compete. So, there's no feel good about anything."
The Sabres had beaten the Senators 3-1 in Ottawa just eight days prior and were coming off a 6-3 win over the Flyers at home on Saturday.
"We had very little response the way we would have wanted after we fell behind," Granato said. "Didn't have enough pucks to the net, didn't have enough drive to the net, and enough net focus at that point."

Dell: 'I wasn't trying to hurt anybody'

Senators forward Drake Batherson crashed into the boards and sustained an ankle injury after colliding with Sabres goaltender Aaron Dell during the final minute of the first period. Dell leaned into Batherson as he was skating behind the net in pursuit of the puck carrier.
"I was just trying to buy some time for my defenseman and step into his lane," Dell said. "I hope he's all right. I wasn't trying to hurt anybody."

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Mittelstadt returns

Mittelstadt had not played since having surgery to repair an upper-body injury on Dec. 10. He had originally sustained an injury on opening night and only appeared in three games upon his initial return in December.
The forward skated 16:52 and tallied three shot attempts (one on goal).
"My stamina was great," he said. "It's my first time really being in a read-and-react situation, so there are some different things I definitely got to clean up, a little sore at times. But, yeah, I'm not very happy with how I played but it's one game back. I'm just going to wash it away and forget about it and get ready to go again."

Granato said he expected Mittelstadt to need a few games before reacclimating to game speed.
"He has to go through that process," he said. "Casey did not look like Casey, that was clear and evident. Even the first shift, he had a chance at a breakaway there and he just couldn't move. Unfortunately, it's like his first game of the season and everybody else is in midseason form."

Up next

The Sabres open a three-game Western Conference road trip against the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday. Coverage on MSG begins at 8:30 p.m. The puck drops at 9.