BUFFALO — The Ottawa Senators are having their troubles in goal again, but it only took a few minutes for Daniel Alfredsson to bail them out last night.
The Senators captain had a hand in three goals in the third period to bring his team back from down two in a 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres. He scored twice and set up another as the Senators broke a two-game losing skid and dealt the Sabres' NHL playoff hopes a severe blow.
Starting at 12 minutes 20 seconds of the third period, with a short-handed goal by Dean McAmmond that roused the Senators, Ottawa scored five unanswered goals.
Alfredsson hopes the comeback is a sign his team has rediscovered its character in time for the postseason.
Mike Fisher attempts to deflect the puck off his stick in front of Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller. (David Duprey/AP)
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"When Dean McAmmond scored that short-handed goal, it gave us a lot of momentum," he said. "It made [the Sabres] more cautious. We took advantage of that. Getting that goal was huge.
"It was a very important win. We've played well in spurts but then we shoot ourselves in the foot. Everybody showed character. We'll find out what kind of team we want to be approaching the playoffs. This is a good step."
With the loss, the Sabres fell five points out of the eighth and last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, which is currently held by the Boston Bruins, who beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-2 last night.
Until the third period, when the Sabres came out skating hard and grabbed a 3-1 lead with two quick goals, it was a plodding game in which the hosts employed the neutral-zone trap for most of the first two periods. It was hard to believe these were the same teams who put on such an entertaining playoff series last season in the East final.
The Sabres let the game get away with two big mistakes. First, Jason Pominville, whose goal early in the third put Buffalo ahead 3-1, was caught pinching on a power play, which set up McAmmond's goal. Then, no one covered Alfredsson in the slot when he scored the tying goal.
"It was devastating," Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said of the loss. "That really hurts.
"I think we started the game well. We didn't give up a lot. It just hurt to make those mistakes, which we hadn't been making lately."
Alfredsson set up the game-winning goal by defenceman Anton Volchenkov (his first of the season) at 18:04, and then scored his second of the game 16 seconds later. Antoine Vermette and Christoph Schubert had the other Senators goals.
The Senators and Sabres headed into the third period tied 1-1 after 40 minutes of dull hockey. What little excitement there was usually surrounded Ottawa goaltender Martin Gerber, who is struggling again after a run of excellence.
Gerber was pulled after the first period of Monday's 7-5 loss to the Montreal Canadiens after he allowed three goals. He did not suffer the same fate against the Sabres, although two quick goals by Derek Roy, his second of the game, and Pominville tested the patience of head coach Bryan Murray.
"Well, for five minutes at the start of the third, it didn't look like we would compete," Murray said. "The penalty kill [when McAmmond scored] was the turning point."
It was rookie defenceman Brian Lee who made the two best saves in the Senators net.
Early in the second period, Gerber slid into the slot and let the puck get behind him. It went through the crease and was heading over the goal line when Lee, who was in the game because veteran Wade Redden sustained a bruised knee against the Habs, made a skate save. A Sabres player was then first to get his stick on the puck, forcing Lee to make another skate save before turning the puck up the ice. (No doubt Gerber will buy Lee the first drink when the latter celebrates his 21st birthday — and a successful NHL debut — tonight.)
The teams meet again tomorrow in Ottawa to finish a home-and-home set.
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