Sabres Fall 2-1 to Senators at KeyBank

Peyton Krebs scored Buffalo's lone goal as Ottawa edged the Sabres on home ice.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Hockey

The Buffalo Sabres lost 2-1 to the Ottawa Senators at KeyBank Center. Peyton Krebs scored Buffalo's lone goal, while Shane Pinto and Michael Amadio scored for Ottawa.

Why it matters

The loss drops Buffalo in a close game decided by a single goal, with Ottawa controlling more of the shot share. It underscores how narrow margins have shaped the Sabres' home results this early season.

Ottawa held a 30-25 shot advantage, with Ersson stopping 24 of 25 shots and Ellis making 28 saves for Buffalo. Owen Power led the Sabres in ice time at 26:27, while Beck Malenstyn paced Buffalo with seven hits.

The players

Buffalo Sabres

The National Hockey League franchise based in Buffalo, New York, that plays its home games at KeyBank Center.

Ottawa Senators

The National Hockey League franchise based in Ottawa, Ontario, that won the matchup on the road.

Peyton Krebs

A Buffalo Sabres forward who scored the team's lone goal in the loss.

The details

Krebs scored Buffalo's only goal, assisted by Zach Benson and Tage Thompson. Both teams went scoreless on the power play, with Ersson turning aside both Buffalo chances and Ellis stopping all five Ottawa power-play shots. Mattias Samuelsson blocked five shots for the Sabres.

Game played November 4, 2026, at KeyBank Center.

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Season Trajectory

Close one-goal losses like this one shape the early-season standings race in the Atlantic Division, where every point separates playoff positioning. Buffalo's ability to convert shots into goals will be a key factor as the season develops.

The result matters for fantasy managers tracking Krebs and Benson, as the goal and assists were the game's clearest offensive contributions. Ottawa's road win also means Buffalo must recover quickly in its next game to avoid slipping further in the standings.

The takeaway

Narrow losses decided by a single goal often come down to finishing and goaltending, and the Sabres will need sharper execution to turn close games into wins. Tracking shot conversion over the coming weeks will reveal whether this result was an outlier or a pattern.