Senators 3, Sabres 2 (OT)
Jared Cowen scored 45 seconds into overtime and Milan Michalek registered his NHL-leading 19th goal as the Ottawa Senators snapped a six-game losing streak to Buffalo with a 3-2 victory over the host Sabres on Tuesday.
Cowen took a pass in the slot from Erik Karlsson and one-time a shot past Ryan Miller as the Senators (14-13-4) snapped a three-game losing streak. Karlsson leads NHL defenseman with 27 points.
Peter Regin also scored and Craig Anderson made 27 saves as Ottawa improved to 2-3-2 in December.
Paul Szczechura and Tyler Ennis scored 1:28 apart in the first period – both off bad turnovers by Ottawa in its own end – as the Sabres (15-12-3) lost for the fifth time in their last six home games. Ryan Miller had 41 stops.
Regin’s goal – a slap shot through a screen at 7:27 of the third period – tied it 2-2.
Szczechura beat Anderson with a nifty backhander in the slot following a feed from Jason Pominville at 14:16 after Chris Phillips’ turnover. Tyler Ennis made it 2-1 when he gathered a loose puck in front of the net and sent a backhander past Anderson after Michalek’s turnover.
The Senators came out flying and grabbed a 1-0 lead at 1:09 when Michalek took a feed from Jason Spezza and sent a wrist shot past an out of position Miller following a barrage on the Buffalo net.
Ottawa had a chance to tie it in the second period when Colin Greening had Miller beat, but caromed a backhander off the crossbar.
Greening had nine shots on goal.
Michalek left the game in the second period after colliding with Karlsson and did not return.