Buffalo Sabres goaltender Michael Houser stops Ottawa Senators left wing Alex Formenton during the first period  Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, in Ottawa.

 Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press via AP

Goaltender No. 6 gave the Buffalo Sabres a No. 1-style performance Tuesday night.

In his first NHL game of the season, Michael Houser made 43 saves to lead Buffalo to a 3-1 win over the Ottawa Senators. It was a game played in front of no fans in Canadian Tire Centre due to Ontario pandemic mandates against large gatherings.

Houser set the tone of the night just 1:40 into the first period when he stopped Ottawa's winger Alex Formenton on a breakaway and then stopped a rebound attempt by Tim Stutzle. Houser was beaten on a similar breakaway against Syracuse a couple of weeks ago while in Rochester and that play was still on his mind.

"I kind of just wanted to play a little bit more patient," Houser said. "I just figured he would try to just get a shot off any any way he could just because the puck was rolling. It wasn't really a good scoring chance any more."

"That was spectacular. And it did carry through the night," said coach Don Granato, who noted that Houser doesn't back away from challenges in the net. "Those kind of goalies welcome it. They say, 'This is why I'm a goaltender. I want this. I want shots. I want opportunities.' Michael is that type of personality. He's in that position because he wants to make saves, and none bigger than obviously early in game in a breakaway."

Houser was active in his crease all night, moving well laterally and getting to rebounds quick. He stopped all 15 shots he faced in the first period and 18 of 19 in the second. Ottawa finished with a season-high shot total and the final count was 44-32 in the Sens' favor.

Houser was one of the Sabres' biggest feel-good stories of recent seasons last year, when he went 2-2 in four late-season starts after moving up all the way from the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL. In both seasons, Houser was the sixth man Buffalo used in the crease due to epidemics of injuries in goal.

"It's just fun to see the boys so happy, not only for me, but just a win," said Houser, who was beaten only by Drake Batherson's power-play goal in the second period. "I think we've been playing pretty well at least since I've been here. I've watched quite a bit of the games from Rochester and the team has played so much better than last year."

"Just kind of following the story of him last year when I wasn't here, it was an unbelievable story from the outside looking in to follow," said center Mark Jankowski, who scored the tiebreaking goal with 9:57 to play. "And then getting to know him this year, it just made it even that much better for knowing how good of a guy he is and how much everyone just loves him and loves to battle for him."

Here's some more observations on the game:

1. The bizarre game-winner

The Sabres staked Houser to a lead on Dylan Cozens' goal at 12:07 of the first period and won the game as Jankowski's breakaway came on the tail end of a bizarre play when Erik Brannstrom crushed Kyle Okposo into the boards at center ice and a group of players gathered in a scrum. There was no whistle so Jankowski played on and stripped Senators defenseman Josh Brown of the puck from behind.

"I didn't really see what was going on until I turned up and saw the whole thing at the bench there," Jankowski said. "Their D-man and I were just kind of gliding up for a bit and I didn't hear them blow a whistle. So I was like, 'I'm gonna see if I can get this.' And I flipped his stick and just took it. Luckily they didn't blow the whistle, so I just took it in."

"We're yelling too many men on the ice," Granato said. "You keep an eye on the scrum there and then all of a sudden, it's surreal what's happening. Turn, look a little further and Jankowski is going in on a breakaway. So great job by him still paying attention. Really 30 years watching hockey that was the first time happening. Surreal occurrence."

The Sabres are concerned about Okposo, who did not return. Granato said he had no update on his alternate captain's status as he was still being examined.

2. Comings and goings

Center Tage Thompson, who returned from the Covid-19 protocol list to play the last two games against Detroit, sat this one out due to Canadian protocols because he is not yet 10 days from his last positive test. Winger Vinnie Hinostroza was also out of the lineup with an undisclosed injury suffered Monday against the Red Wings. There is no update yet on his status.

Brett Murray was recalled from the taxi squad and joined Jankowski in re-entering the lineup. Ottawa goalie Matt Murray was a late scratch due to a non-Covid-19 illness, forcing Forsberg to play his first game since Dec. 18.

3. Quinn goes fourth in Rochester

A scoring change by the American Hockey League has credited Jack Quinn with the tying goal in Rochester's overtime loss to Belleville on Saturday in Blue Cross Arena – thus creating the first four-goal game of Quinn's career.

Quinn's shot at 19:56 of the third period was initially ruled to be deflected in off the face of captain Michael Mersch, but that decision was reversed Tuesday and the goal was awarded to Quinn. An overhead camera shot from the Amerks showed Mersch flinching away from the puck on Quinn's shot, but that it actually struck the back side of a Belleville defenseman. It was the Amerks' first four-goal game since 2011. 

Quinn has 17 goals in 23 games and is one off the AHL lead, which is shared by Chicago center and Williamsville native Andrew Poturalski. The Amerks host Syracuse on Wednesday.

4. Next

The Sabres have a CBA-mandated day off on Wednesday. The next two games are at home, Thursday night against Dallas and Saturday afternoon against Philadelphia in what will be the return of longtime former Buffalo defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.

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