OTTAWA — The Ottawa Senators were hoping one day Robin Lehner would emerge as their No. 1 goaltender. On Saturday he came back to town and beat them as a member of the Buffalo Sabres.

Lehner, who the Sabres acquired from Ottawa prior to last season, made 31 saves as Buffalo came from behind to defeat the Senators 2-1.

"That's the big reason why we won," Sabres forward Sam Reinhart said of Lehner's play.

"He was the one guy for the full 60 minutes that gave it his all and was really the big reason why we won that game."

Kyle Okposo and Reinhart scored in the third period as the Sabres rallied for their fourth win in their past five games.

Okposo tied the game early in the period when he tipped a point shot from Jake McCabe past Craig Anderson just 67 seconds into the final frame.

The Sabres (5-4-2) then took their first lead of the game as Reinhart took advantage of a turnover at the side of the Ottawa goal. Anderson stopped the first shot before Reinhart was able to jam a loose puck in between the skate of the Ottawa goalie and the post at 8:22.

"It was kind of an in-tight play and kind of lucky the way it worked out and was able to come back and be on the right side of the goalie," Reinhart said.

Later in the period the Senators got a great opportunity to tie the game when they were awarded a four-minute power play after Dmitry Kulikov got a high stick into the face of Bobby Ryan, but were unable to produce.

Mike Hoffman had the lone goal for the Senators (7-4-0), who got a 30-save performance from Anderson.

"I think the game could have went either way and I think both teams played pretty good and had chances but Lehner did play really well," Hoffman said.

"We were generating chances which is, at the end of the day, what we want to do. Some days they're going to go in, unfortunately this was one of those days that things didn't go our way."

A scoreless first period did produce one highlight-worthy moment that ended with a sprawling stick save by Lehner in the Buffalo goal.

Jean Gabriel Pageau worked his way through the Sabres defence and got Lehner down as he went wide of the netminder, but Lehner was able to reach back and get his stick down to knock Pageau's shot wide.

"I think the Pageau save, it's nice that I got it, but I put myself in a position where I got myself out of the crease and got out of angle and wasn't as patient as I wanted to be," Lehner explained.

"I was fortunate it didn't go in."

Hoffman fired a one-timer from the slot past Lehner at 2:42 of the second period while the Sabres were killing a too many men on the ice penalty for the game's first goal.

There was also a stretch in the period where there was no stoppage in play for seven minutes 48 seconds.

The Sabres will conclude their mini two-game road swing against the Bruins in Boston Monday before returning home for a rematch with the Senators Wednesday.

The Senators will face the Predators in Nashville Tuesday.

Notes: Chris Wideman and Max McCormick were scratches for the Senators while scratches for the Sabres were Nicolas Deslauriers, Zack Bogosian and Hudson Fasching…The Sabres have won back-to-back games against the Senators for the first time in five years…Sabres forward William Carrier played his first NHL game…Senators forward Derick Brassard hasn't scored since opening night, a span of 10 games…Senators forward Mike Hoffman failed to score in his first seven games but now has goals in three of his past four.