BUFFALO, N.Y. — Alex Kovalev and Mike Fisher scored in the shootout, and the Ottawa Senators beat the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 on Saturday night despite missing two of their top offensive players.
The Senators rebounded from an 8-2 loss Wednesday night at Pittsburgh, and played their first game without both captain Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza, who has been out with a knee injury. Alfredsson separated his shoulder in the first period against the Penguins and will be lost for at least a month.
Ryan Shannon and Chris Neil scored in regulation, and Pascal Leclaire made 20 saves for the Senators (19-15-4), who've won seven straight over the Sabres.
Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville scored for the sliding Sabres (22-11-4), who are 2-2-2 since an 8-2-0 spurt. Ryan Miller made 38 saves, and held the Senators scoreless in a first period in which Ottawa outshot Buffalo 19-1.
The Sabres were without center Derek Roy for the final 15 minutes of regulation as well as the entire overtime after he absorbed a check by Senators center Jesse Winchester while attempting a shot from the left circle.
After a scoreless first period, the Senators struck first when Shannon recorded his first of the year at 5:15 of the second period. Kovalev's pass from the right circle went off Shannon's stick and Buffalo defenseman Steve Montador's body before going in.
Less than a minute later Neil picked up his fifth of the season when he jammed home a rebound from in tight to make it 2-0.
Vanek cut the Ottawa lead in half with his 11th with 2:45 left in the second when his slap shot from the right faceoff dot went in, and Pominville tied it with 41.9 seconds left while the Sabres enjoyed a 4-on-3 power play.
Notes
Ottawa recalled Ryan Keller from Binghamton of the AHL to replace Alfredsson. … Vanek returned after missing the past three games because of soreness in his midsection. … The Senators held the Sabres to one shot on goal in the first period of a 4-2 win on March 17, 2009. … Montador registered Buffalo's only shot in the first with 2:36 to go.