BUFFALO, N.Y. — Victor Olofsson and Anders Bjork scored 2:01 apart in the second period, and the Buffalo Sabres followed a tumultuous summer with a stunning season-opening 5-1 win over the injury-depleted Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night.

Overcoming initial questions a lack of offense and leadership with deposed captain Jack Eichel’s future in Buffalo uncertain, assistant captains Kyle Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons stepped up to generate Buffalo’s first two goals in a game the Sabres never trailed. Eichel was stripped of his captaincy last month and remains on injured reserve over a dispute with the team over how to treat a herniated disk that has sidelined him since March.

Forty-year-old Craig Anderson stopped 30 shots in his debut with his sixth NHL team.

The Sabres converted three of six power-play opportunities, with Tage Thompson pushing Buffalo’s lead to 5-1 early in the third period.

KRAKEN 4, PREDATORS 3: Brandon Tanev scored his second goal into an empty net with 1:21 left, and Seattle won at Nashville for the expansion franchise’s first victory.

Alex Wennberg and Jared McCann each had a goal and an assist for Seattle.

Tanev’s second goal on Seattle’s lone shot in the third period was the winner. Mikael Granlund scored with 39.9 seconds left to pull Nashville within 4-3. The Predators couldn’t beat goalie Philipp Grubauer again, even with goalie Juuse Saros still out for the extra attacker.

PANTHERS 5, PENGUINS 4: Carter Verhaeghe scored his second goal of the night 1:37 into overtime and Florida overcame a late two-goal deficit to beat visiting Pittsburgh.

Aaron Ekblad scored the two late goals to get Florida into overtime, and Verhaeghe finished it off moments after Sergei Bobrovsky stoned Evan Rodrigues on a breakaway. Bobrovsky made 43 saves for Florida, which also got a goal from Anthony Duclair.

Pittsburgh’s Jeff Carter got the 400th goal of his career for Pittsburgh.

LIGHTNING 7, RED WINGS 6: Ondrej Palat scored with 2:17 left in overtime, lifting Tampa Bay to a comeback victory at Detroit.

Tyler Bertuzzi scored a career-high four goals, including three in the second period, to help the Red Wings take a three-goal lead three times.

Ross Colton, Nikita Kucherov and Alex Killorn scored in a four-minute span late in the third to make it 6-all.

BLUE JACKETS 8, COYOTES 2: Oliver Bjorkstrand had two goals and two assists, Max Domi added a goal and two assists and Columbus routed visiting Arizona, making Brad Larsen a winner in his coaching debut.

HURRICANES 6, ISLANDERS 3: Andrei Svechnikov had two goals and an assist to help Carolina win its season opener at home.

SENATORS 3, MAPLE LEAFS 2: Anton Forsberg made a career-high 46 saves and Ottawa scored three times in the first period in a season-opening victory against visiting Toronto.

STARS 3, RANGERS 2: Miro Heiskanen scored 1:38 into overtime and Dallas spoiled Gerard Gallant’s home debut as New York coach.

NOTES

AVALANCHE: Forward Gabriel Landeskog was suspended for two games without pay by the NHL for boarding Chicago Blackhawks forward Kirby Dach.

Landeskog was assessed a minor penalty for boarding with 3:38 left in Colorado’s 4-2 home victory Wednesday night in the season opener for both teams.

The suspension will cost Landeskog $70,000, with the money going to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Landeskog had a goal and an assist in the game.

SENATORS: Brady Tkachuk, a restricted free agent, agreed to a seven-year, $57.5 million contract.

Tkachuk had not played for the Senators during the preseason until a deal was reached.

The contract has an average annual value of $8.214 million.