NHL Wednesday Roundup: Senators Rally Past Sabres 2-1, Beniers Wins It in OT for Kraken

Wednesday night in the NHL came down to the final minutes in two buildings 2,000 miles apart, and in both cases the team that found one more goal walked away with two points. In Buffalo, the Ottawa Senators erased a deficit with two unanswered third-period goals, the winner from Michael Amadio with 3:09 left, to beat the Sabres 2-1. In Seattle, Matty Beniers needed only 55 seconds of overtime to give the Kraken a 2-1 win over the Calgary Flames.

Key Points

• Michael Amadio scored at 16:51 of the third period to break a late deadlock and complete Ottawa's comeback. Shane Pinto also scored, as the Senators struck twice in the third after trailing.
• Sam Ersson made 23 saves for Ottawa, while Buffalo's Colten Ellis stopped 28 shots. Peyton Krebs scored the Sabres' only goal as their three-game winning streak ended.
• Matty Beniers scored on a breakaway 55 seconds into overtime to lift Seattle past Calgary 2-1. Berkly Catton also scored for the Kraken, and Joey Daccord made 25 saves.
• Yegor Sharangovich scored for Calgary, and Dustin Wolf stopped 27 of 29 shots in the Flames' first overtime game of the season.
• The standings tightened: Ottawa improved to 10-6-1, Seattle to 9-5-1, Buffalo slipped to 7-5-3 and Calgary to 7-8-1.

What Happened

The first finish came in Buffalo, where Peyton Krebs had given the Sabres the lead and Buffalo carried it into the third period with its three-game winning streak on the line. Ottawa had other ideas. Shane Pinto tied the game in the third, and Amadio struck at 16:51 to put the visitors ahead for the first time all night. The Sabres pushed for an equaliser in the final three minutes, but Ersson held firm. The win capped a 2-2-1 road trip for Ottawa, while Buffalo lost a chance to stretch its winning run to four. Ellis stopped 28 shots, but the Sabres could not find a second goal behind Ersson.

Out west, Seattle and Calgary played a game just as tight. The Kraken were playing for the first time since a 6-2 loss in Calgary on Friday, and the rematch had an edge from the opening faceoff. Catton gave Seattle its goal in regulation, Sharangovich answered for the Flames, and the game stayed locked at 1-1 through a tense third period. Overtime lasted less than a minute: Beniers broke in alone on Wolf and finished the breakaway 55 seconds in, giving Seattle revenge for the Friday defeat. Daccord's 25 saves were central to the win, while Wolf stopped 27 of 29 at the other end.

Background and Context

The season is only a few weeks old, yet the standings are already sorting themselves, and nights like Wednesday are where the sorting happens. Ottawa's win pushed the Senators to 10-6-1, good for 21 points, near the top of the Atlantic Division. Buffalo, at 7-5-3 for 17 points, remains in the hunt but lost ground it could not afford to give away at home. Seattle improved to 9-5-1 for 19 points, five days after a 6-2 beating by the same Calgary team on the road. Calgary's story is one of recovery: the Flames opened 0-5-0, but since then they are 7-3-1, and Wednesday's overtime loss still earned them a point, leaving them at 7-8-1 for 15 points.

NHL Wednesday Roundup: Two One-Goal Games, Two Very Different Finishes

What made this NHL Wednesday roundup stand out was how differently the two games were won. Ottawa's victory was a grind: a comeback built on patience, two third-period goals and a goaltender who refused to let the lead slip away again. Seattle's was a flash: a single breakaway in the first minute of overtime, over almost before the extra period had begun. Elsewhere on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings beat the San Jose Sharks 7-2 behind Adrian Kempe's hat trick, and the Florida Panthers beat the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3. The goaltending deserves a mention too: Ersson with 23 saves, Ellis with 28, Daccord with 25 and Wolf with 27. In one-goal games the margin is often a single save, and all four goalies gave their teams a chance.

Reactions and Quotes

No post-game player or coach quotes were carried in the wire reports checked for this roundup, so there are no direct reactions to report from either dressing room. What the winners take from the night is clear from the results. Ottawa will take the belief that it can win on the road when trailing late, a quality that matters far more in April than in November. Seattle will take the satisfaction of answering a heavy defeat with a win over the same opponent. For the losers: Buffalo will look at a third period in which a lead disappeared in minutes, and Calgary will look at an overtime that lasted 55 seconds.

Why It Matters

One-goal games are the currency of the NHL season. More than half of all games are decided by a single goal, and the teams that collect points in them are usually the teams still playing in the spring. Ottawa's comeback win builds a playoff cushion, and it came at the end of a road trip, which makes it doubly valuable. Seattle's overtime win builds belief inside a dressing room, especially when it avenges a lopsided loss. For Buffalo and Calgary, the points left on the table matter too: the Sabres saw a three-game streak snapped at home, and the Flames, despite their recovery from 0-5-0, are still below .500 at 7-8-1.

What Happens Next

Ottawa heads home after finishing its road trip 2-2-1, with the momentum of a comeback win behind it. Buffalo will look to start a new winning run and prove Wednesday's third period was a blip, not a pattern. Seattle will try to keep the good feeling going on home ice, while Calgary takes the single point from its first overtime game and keeps climbing out of the hole its 0-5-0 start dug. The rematches will carry extra edge now: Buffalo owes Ottawa one, and Calgary owes Seattle one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the Senators vs Sabres game?
Ottawa won 2-1 in Buffalo. Michael Amadio scored the winner at 16:51 of the third, Shane Pinto also scored, and Sam Ersson made 23 saves. Peyton Krebs scored for Buffalo.

How did the Kraken beat the Flames?
Matty Beniers scored on a breakaway 55 seconds into overtime to give Seattle a 2-1 win. Berkly Catton also scored for Seattle and Joey Daccord made 25 saves.

What are the teams' records after Wednesday?
Ottawa improved to 10-6-1, Seattle to 9-5-1, Buffalo slipped to 7-5-3 and Calgary to 7-8-1.

Was this Calgary's first overtime game of the season?
Yes. The 2-1 loss in Seattle was the Flames' first game beyond regulation this season, ending 55 seconds into overtime.

Why was the Seattle win significant?
The Kraken had lost 6-2 in Calgary five days earlier, so the overtime win was quick revenge on home ice and kept Seattle firmly in the Western Conference playoff picture.

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