Pro Sports

Eichel has 2 points in season debut, Sabres beat Senators

Posted November 29, 2016 6:00 am

The Associated Press

Buffalo Sabres' Jack Eichel (15) celebrates his goal against the Ottawa Senators with teammates Ryan O'Reilly (90), Kyle Okposo (21), Rasmus Ristolainen (55) and Sam Reinhart (23) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016. (Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) - Jack Eichel had a goal and an assist in his season debut as the Buffalo Sabres beat the Ottawa Senators 5-4 on Tuesday night.

Ryan O'Reilly scored twice for Buffalo (8-9-5), while Kyle Okposo and Sam Reinhart also scored. Robin Lehner started and gave up one goal on six shots before leaving late in the first period. Anders Nilsson replaced him and stopped 26 shots.

Mike Hoffman had three goals and an assist for the Senators, and Mark Stone also scored in his 200th NHL game. Craig Anderson, making his sixth straight start, made 23 saves.

Eichel had missed the first 21 games after spraining his left ankle ahead of the Sabres' season opener

O'Reilly extended Buffalo's lead to 5-3 with a power-play goal with 3:17 left.

Hoffman got the Senators within one on the game's fifth power-play goal with 1:31 remaining to complete his hat trick with his seventh of the season, but that was as close as Ottawa got.

Trailing 3-1 Stone got the Senators within one on a power-play goal at 8:20 of the second after pouncing on a loose puck. It gave him five goals and four assists in his last eight games.

The Sabres regained their two-goal lead as Evander Kane's shot deflected past Anderson off Reinhart's skate with 2:52 left in the second.

Ottawa cut the lead again as Hoffman tipped Erik Karlsson's shot just 43 seconds later.

Buffalo opened the scoring 6:16 in with a power-play goal as Ottawa's Cody Ceci tried to tie up Reinhart in front of the net, but instead had Okposo's shot go in off his skate.

Eichel scored his first, on the power play, 3:15 later.

The Senators cut the lead in half as Hoffman buried Mark Borowiecki's rebound with 6;13 left in the period, but the Sabres replied 31 seconds later as O'Reilly came into the slot and scored off his backhand.

By the end of the game the Senators were without Bobby Ryan, who aggravated a hand injury early in the second and Marc Methot who suffered a lower body injury late in the second.

NOTES: Senators G Andrew Hammond was recalled early Tuesday and was a healthy scratch, as was LW Max McCormick and D Fredrik Claesson. ... The Sabres were without D Zach Bogosian (knee) and D Dmitry Kulikov (unknown).

UP NEXT

Sabres: Host the New York Rangers on Thursday night.

Senators: Host Philadelphia on Thursday night.

Buffalo Sabres' Kyle Okposo (21) celebrates his goal against the Ottawa Senators with teammates Jack Eichel (15) and Ryan O'Reilly (90) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016. (Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Buffalo Sabres' Ryan O'Reilly (90) celebrates his goal against the Ottawa Senators with teammate William Carrier (48) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016. (Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Buffalo Sabres' William Carrier (48) is up-ended by Ottawa Senators' Marc Methot (3) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016. (Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Buffalo Sabres' Jack Eichel (15) celebrates his goal against the Ottawa Senators during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016. (Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Ottawa Senators' Mike Hoffman (68) celebrates his goal against the Buffalo Sabres with teammate Mark Borowiecki (74) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016. (Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

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