Lehner subdues former team as Sabres edge Senators
OTTAWA -- Robin Lehner won the duel between former goaltending partners as the Buffalo Sabres defeated the Ottawa Senators 2-1 at Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday night.
Lehner, who spent five seasons in the Senators' organization before being dealt to the Sabres in the spring of 2015, was often brilliant while making 32 saves.
Senators goaltender Craig Anderson also turned in a strong performance, making 30 saves on Hockey Fights Cancer night in Ottawa. Anderson's wife, Nicholle, was recently diagnosed with the disease.
The loss snapped the Senators' winning streak at three games.
Third-period goals by winger Kyle Okposo and center Sam Reinhart lifted the Sabres from a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead.
Okposo tied the game at the 1:07 mark when he deflected a point shot by defenseman Jake McCabe past Anderson on the short side.
Reinhart put Buffalo ahead at 8:22 of the period, taking a loose puck from behind the net and jamming it behind Anderson.
The Senators scored the only goal through the first 40 minutes when Mike Hoffman finished off a quick, three-way passing play with winger Bobby Ryan and defenseman Erik Karlsson at 2:42 of the second. The power-play goal was Hoffman's third of the season.
The win improved the Sabres' record to 5-4-2 while the Senators slipped to 7-4-0.
NOTES: Senators G Chris Driedger has been returned to Binghamton of the American Hockey League, leaving the goaltending duties to Craig Anderson and Mike Condon. Coach Guy Boucher said of Anderson: "When he's here, he's in." When he's not with the team, Anderson will be with his wife Nicholle as she battles cancer. ... Senators G Andrew Hammond is getting closer to making his return from a groin injury. ... With Senators D Chris Wideman out with an upper-body injury, D Fredrik Claesson took his place in the lineup for the second consecutive game. ... Senators C Max McCormick was a healthy scratch. ... Listed as the Sabres scratches were D Zach Bogosian (knee) and Fs Nicolas Deslauriers (knee) and Hudson Fasching (groin). ... During warmup, Sabres F Marcus Foligno skated by Anderson and tapped him on the pads as a show of support.