Peterka helps Sabres defeat Senators in season opener

BUFFALO -- JJ Peterka scored his first NHL goal, and the Buffalo Sabres rallied for a 4-1 win against the Ottawa Senators in the season opener for each team at KeyBank Center on Thursday.

"Just pure joy," said Peterka, a forward who played his third NHL game. "… I was so excited. I don't know, just speechless."
Victor Olofsson scored two empty-net goals, and Craig Anderson made 35 saves for the Sabres.
"It was always fun [playing the Senators] back before I played there," said Anderson, who played 435 games in 10 seasons (2010-20) with the Senators. "And then now it's kind of fun as well. … It's always fun to win hockey games regardless of what sweater you're playing against."

Brady Tkachuk scored, and Anton Forsberg made 32 saves for the Senators.
"I thought we had a weak probably three minutes there in the second period where they got a couple on us," Ottawa coach D.J. Smith said. "We had plenty of chances, we had breakaways, we had 2-on-0, 2-on-1s, and we just didn't put it in the back of the net tonight."

Tkachuk gave the Senators a 1-0 lead at 10:16 of the first period from the inside edge of the left face-off circle off a pass from Drake Batherson. He became the first Ottawa captain to score the team's first goal of the season since Daniel Alfredsson on Oct. 3, 2009.
Peterka tied it 1-1 at 4:31 of the second period. On a give-and-go during an odd-man rush, Dylan Cozens sent a pass under Ottawa defenseman Jake Sanderson's stick to Peterka, who scored from the low slot.
"JJ was [better] tonight than he was at any point in the preseason, during the exhibition games," Sabres coach Don Granato said. "That was really nice to see. The competition elevated, the competitive puck battles elevated, and I thought he was very determined in puck battles and showed a lot of strength. Once he won a battle through that, he opened up and saw lots of options and plays. The goal was outstanding. I thought he had a burst of speed to match Cozens, who we know has incredible acceleration. The two of them together on the goal they went from fourth to fifth gear and it was too much for the opposition. JJ put it in the back of the net immediately, as a goal-scorer does."

Rasmus Dahlin put Buffalo ahead 2-1 at 7:25 when Peyton Krebs sent a pass from behind the net to the defenseman in front.
"I thought we had good momentum going into the second," Batherson said. "And there was just power play, penalty kill, power play, penalty kill, didn't have much 5-on-5 and sometimes that affects the legs."
Olofsson made it 3-1 with 42 seconds remaining in the third period, then scored again with 27 seconds left for the 4-1 final.
"Execution," Smith said. "I think the guys wanted it too much probably and just were squeezing maybe. Didn't go in the net. But there was plenty of chances there, just doesn't go in."
NOTES: Alex DeBrincat had seven shots on goal in 19:06 of ice time, and Claude Giroux had two shots on goal in 17:54 in each forward's regular-season debut with the Senators. Ottawa acquired DeBrincat in a trade from the Chicago Blackhawks on July 7. Giroux signed a three-year, $19.5 million contract ($6.5 million average annual value) on July 13. … Sanderson played 22:21 and had one shot goal in his NHL regular-season debut. … Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson, who signed a seven-year, $30 million contract ($4.29 AAV) on Wednesday, had one shot on goal and four blocked shots in 19:16. … Each team was 0-for-4 on the power play. … Prior to the game, the Sabres and Senators came together at center ice for a moment of silence to honored the victims of the May 14 mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket.