Sabres Lose Lead, Then Ground In Playoff Race

Now, the Sabres know how Tampa Bay feels. Just like when the Sabres scored six times in the third period to come from behind and beat the Lightning after trailing 4-1, Ottawa put five pucks in the back of the net in the final eight minutes to knock off the Sabres 6-3 after trailing 3-1 at HSBC Arena Tuesday night. Anton Volchenkov scored the game-winner with 1:56 to play as the Sens won the front end of a home-and-home series. Daniel Alfredsson had two goals and an assist while Antoine Vermette added a goal and an assist for the Senators, who had lost three of four coming into the game. Martin Gerber made 29 saves in the win. The win gives Ottawa 91 points on the season, which puts the team in a tie with New Jersey for the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference. New Jersey, though, has a game in hand. Derek Roy scored twice while Jason Pominville also lit the lamp for the Sabres, who have dropped their last two games. Ryan Miller was touched for five goals on 30 shots. Buffalo has 81 points and trails Boston by five points for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with six games to play. The Bruins beat Toronto 6-2 on Tuesday. In addition, Philadelphia won in overtime against the Rangers and Washington got by Carolina in a shootout, meaning the Sabres lost two points to each of three teams directly in front of them on Tuesday. These teams will meet again in Ottawa on Thursday. With the score tied at 1-1 to start the third period, Buffalo scored a pair of goals separated by just 25 seconds to take a 3-1 lead. Less than three minutes in, Mike Weber fired a quick backhand shot from the high slot that was stopped, but Roy was on the doorstep to clean up the garbage. Moments later, Jochen Hechts hard work along the boards paid off as he sent a pass from the right boards to the left side of the net where Pominville one- timed the puck past Gerber. Ottawa, though, came roaring back later in the period to take the lead. Skating shorthanded, Ottawa converted a 2-on-1 break as Vermette flicked a backhand pass from the left side to the front of the net where Dean McAmmond tapped it past Miller with 7:40 to play. Just 1:42 later, the Senators tied the game as Jason Spezza sent a pass from behind the net to the slot where Alfredsson wristed the puck over the glove of Miller. The Senators then took the lead with 1:56 to play as Volchenkovs big slap shot from the high slot found its way into the left corner of the net for a 4-3 lead. Alfredsson sealed the win just 16 seconds later as his slap per from the slot slid under the right pad of Miller for his 40th goal of the season. Vermettes empty-net goal accounted for the final score. Ottawa got the only goal of the first period. Chris Neil picked up a turnover near his right blueline and got the puck over to Christoph Schubert, who skated into the Buffalo end and snapped a wrister off the right post and into the net at the 11:54 mark of the frame. Gerber stopped all 10 shots he faced in the first period to keep Buffalo off the board. Buffalo tied the game with 6:50 to play in the second period. Thomas Vanek held the puck at the right circle and dished it to the slot from Roy, who skated in on net and lifted a backhander past Gerber for his 30th goal of the year. Miller stopped all nine shots he faced in the second period. Game Notes Roy has scored four goals and seven assists during his six-game point streak...Its the second 40-goal season of Alfredssons career...Neither team scored on the power play, with Ottawa having two chances and Buffalo four...Ottawa has won five of the seven matchups with Buffalo this season.