The Ottawa Senators faced a difficult start without captain Brady Tkachuk, resulting in their third straight loss.
Backup goalie Leevi Merilainen struggled, and the team couldn't recover from an 8-4 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night at the KeyBank Center.
Despite these efforts, Merilainen's struggles led to the team's defeat.
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Author's summary: Senators lose 8-4 to Sabres without captain Brady Tkachuk.