Roy scores both goals in Sabres' season opener
Derek Roy scored his second goal of the game on a power play midway through the third period to send the Buffalo Sabres on to a 2-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Friday night in the season opener for both teams.
Ryan Miller stopped 25 shots for Buffalo, which took its second and final lead when Roy's shot from behind the goal line went in off goalie Pascal Leclaire's glove.
Sabres rookie Tyler Ennis assisted on both goals.
Chris Kelly scored the Senators' goal late in the second. Leclaire made 34 saves.
Roy put Buffalo up 1-0 8:04 in. He got behind Ottawa defenseman Erik Karlsson to take Ennis' pass on the left side before cutting across the goal mouth and past Chris Phillips to put a backhand over a sprawled Leclaire.
Kelly tied it at 1 late in the second period. Chris Neil won a battle for the puck with Buffalo defenseman Jordan Leopold in the neutral zone and fed it ahead to Jarkko Ruutu. Kelly redirected Ruutu's centering pass from the right side into a wide open net with 48.2 seconds remaining in the middle period.
The Sabres killed off two late penalties - including a slashing call on Mike Grier with 21 seconds remaining - as the Senators went 0 for 5 on the power play.
Jason Spezza, Ottawa's No. 1 center, did not dress because of a groin injury. He is day-to-day.
NOTES: Dr. Don Chow, Ottawa's team physician, attended the game six weeks after he was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident. Chow stood and waved to the crowd to acknowledge their cheers when he was introduced during the first period. ... The Sabres wore their new road uniforms, which include a modernized version of the white jersey worn by the team from 1970-71 to 1995-96 featuring the original team logo.
