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 After surrendering a two-goal lead and falling behind in the
third period, the Sabres bounced back to defeat the Ottawa Senators
5-4 Monday night in a shootout.
Left winger Matt Moulson scored the lone goal in the shootout.
"This group of guys, they're starting to believe in themselves,"
Sabres coach Ted Nolan said. "We were down a little bit, and we
found a way to fight back. ... It was a big effort by the team."
Moulson, defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, left winger Marcus Foligno
and center Brian Flynn scored in regulation for Buffalo (13-16-2).
Goalie Jhonas Enroth made 29 saves. He also stopped two Ottawa
attempts in the shootout, with another attempt missing the target.
It was a win that likely wouldn't have happened one month ago for
the Sabres. After a slow start to the year that saw Buffalo win just
three of its first 18 games, the Sabres have found their form in
recent weeks. Buffalo won its sixth consecutive home game and earned
its 10th victory in 13 games overall.
 "If it happened a couple months ago that's exactly what would
happen. We would fall behind and we would lose," Sabres center Tyler
Ennis said. "Now we're coming from behind and winning. It's great to
see."
Added Nolan: "With a young team, it's going to take some time. But
when you're developing a young team, you're going to go through
those spurts, and we're not through the woods yet. We've still got a
lot of growing to do."
Moulson's game-winner came on the first attempt of the shootout. He
beat Senators goalie Robin Lehner from up close with a wrist shot to
the left corner.
Right winger Bobby Ryan, right winger Mark Stone, center Curtis
Lazar and right winger Alex Chiasson scored for the Senators
(12-12-6). Lehner made 29 saves.
"It was one of those games, up and down," Senators coach Dave
Cameron said. "Different parts of the game, you're excited. We're
down 3-1 and come back. Had the 4-3 lead, couldn't hold it. We
didn't seem to have the jump that we had the previous games."
The game was a back-and-forth affair that featured plenty of action
in both ends.
Chiasson gave Ottawa its first lead of the game, 4-3, five minutes
into the third. After a giveaway by Sabres Meszaros, Chiasson deftly
waited before putting a backhand deke past Enroth to the short side.
Flynn made it 4-4 with 3:29 left in regulation. After Lehner stopped
right Foligno's shot from the point, Flynn pounced on the rebound
for his fourth goal of the season.
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Ryan opened the scoring 7:24 into the first period. The right winger
put a backhand shot home from the top of the crease for his seventh
goal of the season. Ryan now has six points in his past five games
after going seven games without a point.
Ristolainen evened the score 4:11 into the second period on the
power play. The young defenseman beat Lehner with a low shot for his
second goal.
Buffalo grabbed a two-goal lead three minutes later with two goals
in a span of 32 seconds. Moulson made it 2-1 seven minutes in. The
left winger tipped defenseman Andrej Meszaros' shot from the point
past Lehner, but it stopped before the goal line. Moulson then
pounced on the loose puck for his seventh goal of the year.
Foligno made it 3-1 at 7:32 on a three-on-two rush. Sabres center
Brian Flynn found Foligno to his left, and the left winger put home
his third goal in the past three games.
Ottawa found its way back, however. Stone finished a three-on-two
rush with 6:18 left in the second on a wrist shot to the glove side
for his seventh goal of the season.
Lazar tied the game two minutes into the third period at the end of
an odd-man rush. After right winger Erik Condra's pass was initially
stopped, Lazar pounced on the loose puck for his first career goal.
NOTES: Following the game, the Sabres recalled C Mikhail Grigorenko
from AHL Rochester, where he had seven goals and 12 assists in 27
games. ... Monday's game originally was scheduled to take place on
Feb. 20, 2015. It was moved following the November snowstorm in
Buffalo, which prompted the cancellation of Buffalo's Nov. 21 game
against the New York Rangers. The Sabres-Rangers game will take
place on Feb. 20 instead. ... The Sabres scratched D Josh Gorges
(upper body), D Mike Weber and C Cody McCormick. ... The Senators
scratched D Chris Phillips and C Jean-Gabriel Pageau. ... The game
was the first of five meetings between the two teams this season.
The clubs face off again Dec. 29 in Ottawa.
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