OTTAWA -- Daniel Alfredsson scored a power-play goal midway through the second period to rally the Ottawa Senators to a 1-1 tie with the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night.
James Patrick scored four minutes into the second period for Buffalo. Alfredsson got his team-leading sixth goal of the season approximately eight minutes later to forge the tie.
Patrick Lalime stopped 36 shots for the Senators, while Buffalo's Martin Biron finished with 34 saves as the teams played to a tie for the first time since December 1999.
The Sabres opened the scoring at 3:55 of the second period. Buffalo had a three-on-one and forced Lalime to make three big saves before Patrick beat him with a shot over the shoulder.
Radek Bonk, who extended his point streak to nine games, passed the puck to Zdeno Chara, who in turn fed Alfredsson, who tied the score at 11:27 of the second.
The Senators failed to convert several good chances against Biron in the period, and were unable to capitalize on a 40-second, two-man advantage later in the game..
Notes
The Senators' best scoring chance in the first period came at the 11-minute mark, but Biron stopped a backhand shot by Alfredsson. ... Buffalo had won four of its last five entering the game. ... The Sabres won just once in five games against Eastern Conference champion Ottawa last season. ... The Senators entered the game averaging a league-leading 3.75 goals against.
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