x

Already member? Login first!

Comments / New

Senators vs. Sabres Recap: Sabres Finish 2011 Only Managing A Point

With the Sabres stumbling to the finish of the 2011 calendar year, their last home game of 2011 finished with a whimper as the Sabres lost to the Ottawa Senators 3-2 in a shootout.

The Sabres got the ball rolling early in the first period as Brad Boyes was able to capitalize on an ugly Craig Anderson rebound. Jordon Leopold shot the puck at the net and Anderson blocked the shot with his shoulder and then fell down like he was shot by a sniper. That left the net wide open for Boyes and he was able to score his third goal of the season. That lead held through the first period, as the Sabres were able to get some help from the goal posts in the period. The Senators outshot the Sabres 14-9 in the period and at times, outclassed the Sabres in the game.

In the second period, the Senators were able to tie the game for the first time within the first two minutes. Matt Carkner was able to rifle the shot over the glove of Jhonas Enroth from the right faceoff dot. It’s a good shot from Carkner, but it’s also a shot that Enroth should have had a glove on as well. The Sabres got their second lead of the game when Paul Gaustad tipped a Jordon Leopold shot past Craig Anderson. Leopold blasted another cannon toward the net and Gaustad was in the right place at the right time in front of Anderson to score his third goal of the season. The Senators tied the game up again as everyone’s favorite Senator, Chris Neil, scored his fifth goal of the season with 13:45 left in the period.

The third period was a relatively quiet period as the Senators outshot the Sabres 14-6 in the period and both teams managed to get themselves a point as the game went into overtime. Neither team made the goaltender work overly hard in overtime as the Senators had three shots on goal and the Sabres managed two.

The Sabres took their chances with the shootout as they had won two of their three shootouts heading into this season, one of which against these Ottawa Senators. Unfortunately for the Sabres, the Senators had that one extra player who was able to find the net as Bobby Butler scored the game deciding goal as the fifth shooter for the Senators.

The Sabres now will try and start 2012 with a bang in front of the home crowd when they face off against the Edmonton Oilers on January 3rd.