The Buffalo Sabres had a chance to make Wednesday night feel like another step forward. Instead, they walked out of KeyBank Center with a 2-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators after letting a one-goal lead slip away in the third period.
For most of the night, the game looked tight and cautious. Buffalo and Ottawa traded chances without much separation, and the Sabres finally broke through when Peyton Krebs redirected a Tage Thompson shot for the opening goal and a 1-0 lead. But the Senators stayed in it, then flipped the game late with two goals in the final 10 minutes to leave Buffalo empty-handed.
That finish makes the third period the obvious place to start. The Sabres carried a 1-0 lead into the final frame, a situation where they’ve been excellent going back to last season. They were 35-2 last year when leading after two periods and had already gone 3-0 in those spots this season before Wednesday.
The first 40 minutes were close enough to suggest Buffalo had things under control. At 5-on-5, the Sabres had 20 scoring chances and the Senators had 19, according to Natural Stat Trick. High-danger chances were close too, with Buffalo holding a 7-5 edge.
The final period, though, belonged to Ottawa. The Senators finished the third with eight scoring chances and five high-danger chances, while the Sabres managed just three scoring chances and two high-danger chances. In a game that felt even for long stretches, that late swing was enough to decide it.
Faceoffs were another area where Ottawa made its edge count. The Senators won almost 70% of the draws, and one of those wins turned into a goal almost immediately.
After Ottawa controlled the faceoff in the third period, Philip Tomasino fired a shot that Ellis couldn’t corral. The puck kicked out to Shane Pinto, who buried the rebound.
That kind of sequence mattered in a game this tight. Buffalo finished last season with the NHL’s worst faceoff win percentage at 45.9%, and this season it’s been only slightly better at 46.2%. On Wednesday, that weakness showed up in a big moment.
Even with the loss, Colten Ellis gave the Sabres a real chance to win. Goaltending has been a problem at times this season, but not in this one. Ellis came up with several highlight-reel stops and kept Buffalo ahead deep into the game.
He finished with 28 saves on 30 shots and posted an expected goals against of 3.78, according to Natural Stat Trick. He’s now had two strong starts in the last three games, including his shutout against the San Jose Sharks. Buffalo didn’t get enough around him to finish the job, but Ellis was not the reason this one got away.
The Sabres will try to reset quickly, with their next game set for Friday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
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