Alfredsson has 2 goals, assists to lead Senators past Sabres 5-3

Senators surge past Sabres 5-3

OTTAWA — Daniel Alfredsson had two goals and an assist and Filip Kuba had a goal and three assists to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 5-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night.

Chris Kelly and Milan Michalek also scored for the Senators, who have won three straight.

Brian Elliott replaced injured Ottawa starter Pascal Leclaire to start the third period and stopped 16 shots to pick up the win.

Thomas Vanek, Patrick Kaleta and Jason Pominville scored for the Sabres. Former Senators goalie Patrick Lalime faced 26 shots in just his third start of the season and took the loss.

Vanek opened the scoring with a power-play goal in the first period. Parked at the side of the net, Vanek picked up a rebound and beat Leclaire shortside.

The Senators responded with a power-play goal in the opening minute of the second period as Kuba fired a shot from the blueline.

Ottawa took the lead at 8:14 of the second when Alfredsson scored his seventh of the season on a quick wrist shot that beat Lalime.

Elliott started the third for the Senators after Leclaire left the game with a lower-body injury as a result of a collision in the second with Jochen Hecht. Hecht fell over Leclaire and afterward the goalie seemed to favor his left leg. He finished with 24 saves.

Ottawa made it 3-1 early in the third as Kelly tipped Matt Carkner’s point shot and Michalek picked up his 10th goal of the season scoring on an odd-man rush.

After Alfredsson made it 5-1, Kaleta and Pominville scored less than two minutes apart to pull Buffalo within two with just over nine minutes remaining.

Notes: The Senators were without RW Alex Kovalev (personal), RW Shean Donovan (knee), D Anton Volchenkov (elbow). … The Sabres RW Drew Stafford and D Nathan Paetsch were healthy scratches.