The Buffalo Sabres lost to the Ottawa Senators 4-1 at Canadian Tire Centre on April 2. The defeat means the Sabres missed a chance to secure a playoff berth but remain in contention with another opportunity coming up on Saturday against the Washington Capitals.
A win would have guaranteed the Sabres a spot in the playoffs, as their magic number remains at one. This leaves fans waiting for Saturday’s game for another shot at clinching postseason play.
Mattias Samuelsson opened scoring for Buffalo midway through the second period, but Ottawa answered with goals from Dylan Cozens and Lars Eller. Ridly Greig and Shane Pinto each added empty-net goals late in the third period. Goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 20 saves on 22 shots during the game.
With this loss, Buffalo dropped to second place in the Atlantic Division behind Tampa Bay Lightning, who won their own matchup Thursday. Both teams are tied in points, but Tampa Bay holds an advantage by having played one fewer game and thus owning the tiebreaker.
The next game will see Buffalo visiting Washington on Saturday evening, where coverage begins at 6:30 p.m., and puck drop is scheduled for 7.
