Buffalo Sabres at Ottawa Senators

· National Hockey League

Buffalo Sabres

46-22-8

Final
1 - 4

Ottawa Senators

39-26-10

Senators delay the Sabres' bid to clinch drought-breaking playoff spot

Buffalo will have to wait to end its NHL-record 14-season postseason skid, the second-longest active futility run in North America’s four major sports behind the New York Jets and their 15-season slide.

Eller deflected defenseman Artem Zub's shot from the point past goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen at 5:55 of the third.

Buffalo defenseman Mattias Samuelsson opened the scoring at 8:49 of the second with a long wrist shot. Dylan Cozens tied it with 4:42 left in the second on a tip-in. He has 26 goals this season.

Ridly Greig and Shane Pinto added empty-net goals.

Linus Ullmark made 21 saves for Ottawa. The Senators — in the second wild-card spot in the East — opened a five-game homestand.

Luukkonen stopped 20 shots for Buffalo.

Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven left in the first period with an upper-body injury and did not return. The team has become increasingly thin on defense, missing Thomas Chabot, Jake Sanderson, Nick Jensen and others.

Ottawa's Brady Tkachuk fought Logan Stanley late in the first period.

Up next Sabres: At Washington on Saturday night.

Senators: Host Minnesota on Saturday.

Regular Season Series

BUF wins series 2-1

Scoring Summary

Goal	2nd Period 8:49	Mattias Samuelsson Goal (13) Wrist Shot, assists: Bowen Byram (28), Peyton Krebs (26)
Goal	2nd Period 15:18	Dylan Cozens Goal (26) Tip-In, assists: Brady Tkachuk (32), Ridly Greig (19)
Goal	3rd Period 5:55	Lars Eller Goal (5) Slap Shot, assists: Artem Zub (23), Warren Foegele (4)
Goal	3rd Period 17:42	Ridly Greig Goal (12) Wrist Shot, assists: Jordan Spence (22)
Goal	3rd Period 18:42	Shane Pinto Goal (20) Wrist Shot, assists: none

Statistics

BUF		OTT
16	Blocked Shots	10
24	Hits	32
4	Takeaways	3
22	Shots	24
0	Power Play Goals	0
2	Power Play Opportunities	2
0.0	Power Play Percentage	0.0
0	Short Handed Goals	0
0	Shootout Goals	0
29	Faceoffs Won	28
50.9	Faceoff Win Percent	49.1
14	Giveaways	13
4	Total Penalties	3
19	Penalty Minutes	9