Sabres 3, Senators 1
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Sam Reinhart had a goal and an assist to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 3-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Friday.
Nicolas Deslauriers and defenseman Zach Bogosian also scored for the Sabres (29-33-10). Chad Johnson made 32 saves.
Alex Chiasson scored for the Senators (33-31-8). Craig Anderson made 31 saves.
Reinhart opened the scoring 2:07 into the game on the power play. After collecting a rebound beside the net, Reinhart's initial shot was stopped by Anderson's stick but the follow-up went in for his 20th goal of the season.
With the goal, Reinhart and Jack Eichel are the first Sabres rookies to each score 20 goals since the 1974-75 season. Reinhart was the second overall pick in 2014 while Eichel was taken second in 2015.
Ottawa evened the score at 5:33 after Johnson gave up a poor rebound. Chiasson pounced on the loose puck for his sixth goal of the year.
Deslauriers made it 2-1 at 8:17 following a great setup by center Ryan O'Reilly. O'Reilly whipped a hard pass to the net from the outside of the right circle and Deslauriers had an easy tap-in for his sixth goal.
The Sabres dominated the second period and opened up a 3-1 lead at the midway point following a tic-tac-toe passing sequence by the Sabres. Eichel fed Reinhart at the side of the Ottawa net, and Reinhart spotted a wide-open Bogosian to the right. Bogosian had an open net for his sixth goal.
Scott Gomez appeared to get one back for the Senators 3:53 into the third, but officials waved the goal off after ruling that it was illegally batted into the net by Gomez's right hand.
NOTES: G Robin Lehner (ankle), D Carlo Colaiacovo (lower body), D Cody Franson (neck) and G Jason Kasdorf were scratched for the Sabres. Lehner missed the first half of the season due to a high ankle sprain and had been having some pain in recent days. ... D Mark Borowiecki (torn MCL), C Kyle Turris (high ankle sprain), D Patrick Wiercioch and LW Matt Puempel were scratched for the Senators. ... Earlier Friday, the Sabres recalled D Chad Ruhwedel and G Nathan Lieuwen from the AHL's Rochester Americans. It's Ruhwedel's first call-up of the season. ... This was the fourth and final meeting between the two teams this year.