Rasmussen's OT score lifts Sabres past Senators

OTTAWA -- The Buffalo Sabres were determined to get back two important points that they nearly blew.

Erik Rasmussen scored 1:27 into overtime to lift Buffalo to a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators on Sunday.

Sabres defenseman Brian Campbell scored with 3:05 left in regulation to tie the game and Rasmussen put a rebound of Maxim Afinogenov's shot past goalie Patrick Lalime to raise Buffalo's overtime record this season to 4-1-9.

"It was 2-1 with five minutes left but we never gave up," Rasmussen said. "We came up real hot in the first and they came out hot in the second. We dug ourselves a hole turning the puck over in the second, so we came out in the third with something to prove."

J.P. Dumont also scored for the Sabres, who are now tied with the New York Rangers for 10th place in the Eastern Conference with 70 points.

"We needed those two points badly," Campbell said. "We needed that win and it'll be a great confidence builder. We needed it, otherwise it would have been a long way to go."

Buffalo is within three points of Montreal for the eighth and final playoff spot in the conference.

"Every point you get is huge," Sabres forward Chris Gratton said. "We're fighting for our playoff lives. We've been playing playoff hockey since January it seems and tonight was no different."

Ottawa, which took a 2-1 lead with 5:55 left on Wade Redden's power-play goal, lost its fourth in a row.

"We looked like we were in good shape," Lalime said. "We made a few mistakes and they scored. There's no way we should have lost that game."

Juha Ylonen also scored a shorthanded goal, his first goal in six games with the Senators.

Ottawa also lost 3-2 in overtime to Atlanta on Saturday despite outshooting the Thrashers 52-15 in the game.

"Those are two very frustrating losses for us," Senators center Todd White said. "We've got chances to bury teams and we've got to find a way to do it."

Dumont opened the scoring 8:32 in when he deflected Jason Woolley's shot past Lalime.

The play was subjected to a video review, which determined that Dumont's stick made contact with the puck well below the level of the crossbar.

Ylonen drew the Senators even 2:07 into the second after he forced a turnover in the Sabres' zone while Buffalo was on a power play.

Ylonen poked the puck away from Gratton as he backchecked short of the Sabres' blue line.

Magnus Arvedson recovered the puck and fed a soft pass to Ylonen, who swung around and drove to the net to accept the pass before beating goalie Mika Noronen with a backhand as he swept across the goalmouth.

Redden put the Senators up by one at 14:05 of the third with his ninth goal of the season with Buffalo defenseman Rhett Warrener off for tripping.

Campbell drew the Sabres even when he took Vaclav Varada's pass and beat Lalime with a wrist shot after the Senators turned the puck over inside their blue line.

Notes: The Sabres are 4-3-4 in their last 11 road games. Buffalo is 12-17-5-1 overall on the road this season. ... Senators forward Bill Muckalt has not scored a goal in 61 games this season. Muckalt, who has seven assists, had 11 goals and 15 assists in 60 games with the New York Islanders last season. ... Ottawa has played six of its last seven games at home.