Senators 3, Sabres 2: Milan Michalek scored his second goal of the game with 23 seconds remaining as host Ottawa prevailed after squandering a two-goal third-period lead.

Michalek also tallied 10 seconds into the final period and defenseman Erik Karlsson netted his 15th goal as the Senators beat Buffalo for the ninth time in 12 meetings (9-1-2). Craig Anderson made 30 saves to win his eighth consecutive start against the Sabres.

Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford scored 5:21 apart in the third to rally Buffalo, which tumbled to its fourth straight defeat. Stafford added an assist while Jhonas Enroth remained winless since Oct. 25 despite making 33 saves and fell to 1-12-5 on the season.

Karlsson staked the Senators to a 1-0 lead at 3:12 of the middle session with a perfectly placed wrist shot from the outer edge of the right faceoff circle. Michalek doubled the lead in the opening seconds of the third, burying a feed from captain Jason Spezza.

Buffalo cut the deficit in half on a goal by Ennis with 9:35 to play before the resurgent Stafford tied it with 4:14 remaining by scoring in his third consecutive game. Michalek squelched the comeback with a high wrister from the slot after another feed from Spezza.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Michalek's goal set a team record for the fastest tally to open a period, eclipsing the previous mark of 12 seconds set by Spezza on March 5, 2009. ... Sabres GM Tim Murray received a "welcome back" message on the scoreboard. Murray served as the assistant GM with Ottawa before Buffalo hired him last month. ... Senators C Stephane Da Costa, who scored three goals in his previous four games, registered his first NHL assist on Karlsson's tally.