Ottawa Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg (31) makes a save in front of defenceman Travis Hamonic (23) and Buffalo Sabres left wing Zach Benson (9) during first period NHL hockey action in Ottawa, on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
OTTAWA – Anton Forsberg closed out 2023 with an impressive 45-save performance in the Ottawa Senators 5-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday night.
A pair of goals from the Senators’ fourth line also helped.
Zack MacEwen and Mark Kastelic each scored their first of the season, while Dominik Kubalik, Jakob Chychrun and Artem Zub also scored. Thomas Chabot, who returned after missing 12 games with a leg injury, had two assists.
Tage Thompson had the lone goal for the Sabres (15-19-4) with Devon Levi making 26 saves.
Parker Kelly thought he had made it 5-1, but after video review the Senators (14-18-0) were ruled offside. With 4:44 remaining Zub made it 5-1 with an empty-net goal.
Despite being outshot 19-5 the Senators extended their lead in the second to go ahead 4-1.
Ottawa took a 3-1 lead seven minutes into the second when Ridly Greig deked past Rasmus Dahlin and dished a pass over to Kubalik, who got a piece of the bouncing puck to put it past Levi.
With 15 seconds remaining in the period, Erik Brannstrom – who played as a forward Sunday – looked to make a pass and Kastelic, with his first of the season, tipped it to make it 4-1.
Ottawa opened the scoring with Chychrun’s power-play goal at 6:51. Chychrun one-timed it past Levi for his 200th career point.
With his first of the season McEwen gave the Senators a 2-0 lead, but the Sabres cut the lead in half with Thompson’s goal with just 13 seconds remaining in the period.
INTERESTING STAT
Jacques Martin coached his 1,300th NHL game on Sunday.
NOTES
The Senators remain without Mathieu Joseph (lower body) and Rourke Chartier (upper body). “¦ Sabres coach Don Granato missed his second straight game due to an illness. Seth Appert, coach of Buffalo’s American Hockey League affiliate in Rochester, N.Y., filled in again.
UP NEXT
Senators: Play the Canucks in Vancouver on Tuesday.
Sabres: Play in Montreal on Thursday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 31, 2023.
