Sabres Bite Senators In OT

Joe Juneau returned from a concussion to deliver what could be a knock-out blow to the Ottawa Senators.

Juneau scored one goal and set up two by linemate Miroslav Satan including the winner at 10:35 of the second overtime period to lift the Buffalo Sabres to a 3-2 playoff victory over Ottawa on Friday night.

The win gave the Sabres a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 Eastern Conference quarter-final, with the series now shifting to Buffalo for Game 3 Sunday night and Game 4 Tuesday night.

"We felt it was just a matter of time," said Juneau, a late-season pickup by the Sabres who missed the end of the regular season and the series opener a 2-1 win Wednesday night while recovering from a concussion.

"We were really confident and we made sure nobody thought otherwise. Obviously, it's a great advantage going home up 2-0 with a chance to make it 3-0. I don't know what will happen, but we'd love to win it."

The overtime winner was the second of the game for Satan, who tied the game 2-2 with a power-play goal at 6:43 of the third period.

Juneau opened the scoring 58 seconds into the game.

Shawn McEachern and Daniel Alfredsson scored power-play goals in the second period for the Senators, the series favorites who outshot Buffalo 47-39 for a second game in a row only to be thwarted by goaltender Dominik Hasek.

"We win one game and we're right back in it," said Ottawa defenseman Wade Redden. "Nobody in this room is counting us out."

"We've got to come back in Game 3."

While Ottawa held the upper hand in regulation, chances were even through the 30:35 of OT until Juneau got the puck to Jason Woolley, whose drive on the rush got through Damian Rhodes's pads to Satan at the edge of the crease.

"I got my pad down and got part of it," said Rhodes, who started in place of Ron Tugnutt. "It went across the crease and Satan ws there. That's why he's a 40-goal scorer."

"This is something we've never faced before and it's a character builder. If we keep playing the same way, things should start going our way."

The Senators hope to emulate the 1966 Montreal Canadiens, who came back to win after losing the first two games of a series at home.

For a second game in a row, Ottawa captain Alexei Yashin was held without a point under close checking by Michael Peca, the Sabres' captain.

The two-referee system being used for the playoffs resulted in an abundance of penalties. Ottawa went 2-for-9 while Buffalo was 1-for-7 with the man advantage.

Like in Game 1, Buffalo scored early. Satan set up Juneau alone in front of Rhodes to score in the opening minute.

McEachern slid Nelson Emerson's rebound under Hasek on a power play at 2:53 of the second period and Alfredsson was in the slot to deflect Redden's point shot in on another power play at 12:04.

Peca's shot got behind Rhodes and Satan lunged in to poke it over the goal line and tie the game in the third.

"Coming out of here with a split would have been great for us," said Woolley. "But after winning that first game without really playing as well as we can gave us hope."

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