OTTAWA — Jack Eichel‘s impressive rookie season continued on Tuesday night.
Eichel scored twice and Robin Lehner made 34 saves for his first win of the season to lead the Buffalo Sabres past the Ottawa Senators 3-2.
“It’s big to get a win like that,” said Eichel, who moved to within a goal of NHL rookie goal leader Artemi Panarin with his 15th and 16th goals of the year. “We came back twice and we were able to lock it down in the third. That’s what good teams do.”
Eichel tied the game 2-2 late in the second period and then scored the winner at 1:08 of the third period to halt a three-game slide for the Sabres (20-26-4). Evander Kane had the other.
Eichel charged the net after a chip shot by Zemgus Girgensons but stopped on the goal-line, and when Craig Anderson couldn’t control the rebound, Eichel was able to slide the puck into the open net for the deciding goal.
Lehner was traded to the Sabres last summer after six season in the Ottawa organization.
“It feels really good and I feel like I’ve been playing pretty well and getting better every game and every practice,” said Lehner, who sprained his ankle in the first game of the season and was making just his fifth start since coming back.
“It was nice, especially here. There are a lot of memories here.”
Erik Karlsson and Bobby Ryan scored for the Senators (23-21-6), while Anderson stopped 19-of-22 shots in net.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau thought he had tied the game in the final moments of the third but a review showed the time had expired.
“It’s unfortunate and I wish we would have had one more second on the clock, but that’s the game,” said Pageau.
The Senators outshot the Sabres 22-2 in the third period and 26-22 overall, but couldn’t solve Lehner in the third.
“We had chances to tie it up, but at the same time we don’t want to put ourselves in positions like that where we have to score not only once, but twice to win the game,” said Karlsson.
“(Lehner) was solid and he came up big for them and made some really big saves and pretty much stole the game at the end.”
Ottawa held a pair of one-goal leads through the first two periods but both times the Sabres were able to tie the game as the teams went into the final period tied 2-2.
Lehner stopped Chris Neil with the Senators’ first shot of the game, but Karlsson was there to deposit the rebound at 6:42. After a lengthy review following a coach’s challenge for goaltender interference, the goal stood.
The Sabres tied the game at 11:12 on a bizarre play that saw Kane poke the puck in beside the goalpost.
Kane was pressuring Senators defenceman Jared Cowen along the boards when Cowen tried to rim the puck along the boards and in behind is net. The puck hit the end boards and went to the side of the net where Anderson fumbled with the puck at the post before Kane arrived to finish the play.
The Sens took a 2-1 lead just past the midway point of the second period when Ryan picked up a loose puck at the edge of the crease and beat Lehner.
Less than four minutes later, though, Lehner sprung Eichel down the right side, who beating Cowen to the outside and used his long reach to score on a wraparound at 13:48 on the power play.
NOTES: Marc Methot, Kyle Turris and Milan Michalek were all scratches for the Senators. … Josh Gorges, Carlo Colaiacovo, and Philip Varone were scratches for the Sabres. Twelve of the past 16 meetings between the Senators and Sabres have been decided by one goal. At almost four shots and three hits per game, Evander Kane is the only player in the league to lead his team in both those categories.
