Senators end 2014 with a victory

The Ottawa Senators ended 2014 with a much needed victory as they defeated the Buffalo Sabres 5-2 tonight.

The Ottawa Senators had all kinds of scoring opportunities in the first period. The Senators outshot the Sabres 16-8 in the first period. Late in the first period Bobby Ryan would finally break through beating Jhonas Enroth for a  1-0 lead after one period.

The Sabres responded with an early goal by Mark Pysyk in the 2^nd period to tie it at 1. Midway in the period Craig Anderson gets beat on the rebound by Zemgus Girgensons for a 2-1 lead. Late in the period Ryan would score his 9^th of the season, his 2^nd goal of the game to tie it at two.

Three minutes into the 3^rd period Ryan scores his 3^rd goal of the game for his first hat-trick as a Senator. It would be his 4^th career hat-trick. Senators would lead 3-2.

Clarke MacArthur would score his 11^th goal of the season giving Ottawa a 4-2 victory. After being a healthy scratch in 20 games his season, Colin Greening added an empty netter for his first goal of the season as the Senators win 5-2. The Senators snap a 3 game losing streak.

The Senators first game of the New Year is January 3^rd in Boston.

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  Ottawa Senators' Jared Cowan (2) fights with Buffalo Sabres' Patrick Kaleta (36) during first period NHL hockey action in Ottawa Monday, Dec. 29, 2014. (Fred Chartrand/THE CANADIAN PRESS)