Florida Panthers at Buffalo Sabres
· National Hockey LeagueThompson scores go-ahead goal, and Sabres end season-opening 3-game skid with 5-2 win over Panthers
Henri Jokiharju, Mattias Samuelsson and Alex Tuch, with an empty-netter, also scored for the Sabres, who combined for three goals in their first three outings. Lindy Ruff won his first game in his second stint as Sabres coach, 4,257 days after his last victory with Buffalo — a 4-2 decision over Boston on Feb. 15, 2013.
Sam Bennett and Nate Schmidt scored for the Panthers, who have lost two straight since a season-opening win over Boston.
Panthers goalie Spencer Knight stopped 22 shots in his first start since a 6-2 loss to St. Louis on Feb. 14, 2023. He then entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program to help manage an obsessive-compulsive disorder, and spent last season in the minors.
Sabres: Buffalo avoids the franchise’s first 0-4 start and improves to 2-9-1 against Florida in its past 12. Power play finishes 0 for 3, dropping to 0 for 14 this season.
BUF leads series 1-0
Scoring Summary
Goal | 1st Period 9:01 | Nate Schmidt Goal (1) Wrist Shot, assists: A.J. Greer (2), Jesper Boqvist (2) | |
Goal | 1st Period 16:46 | Jordan Greenway Goal (1) Backhand, assists: Peyton Krebs (1) | |
Goal | 1st Period 17:27 | Tage Thompson Goal (2) Wrist Shot, assists: Alex Tuch (2), Connor Clifton (1) | |
Goal | 2nd Period 1:34 | Henri Jokiharju Goal (1) Slap Shot, assists: Rasmus Dahlin (1), Jack Quinn (1) | |
Goal | 2nd Period 16:22 | Mattias Samuelsson Goal (1) Wrist Shot, assists: Jason Zucker (1), Ryan McLeod (1) | |
Goal | 2nd Period 18:42 | Sam Bennett Goal (3) Tip-In, assists: Sam Reinhart (2), Evan Rodrigues (2) | |
Goal | 3rd Period 18:48 | Alex Tuch Goal (2) Wrist Shot, assists: none |
Statistics
FLA | BUF | |
---|---|---|
14 | Blocked Shots | 16 |
24 | Hits | 24 |
11 | Takeaways | 7 |
25 | Shots | 27 |
1 | Power Play Goals | 0 |
2 | Power Play Opportunities | 3 |
50.0 | Power Play Percentage | 0.0 |
0 | Short Handed Goals | 0 |
0 | Shootout Goals | 0 |
30 | Faceoffs Won | 32 |
48.4 | Faceoff Win Percent | 51.6 |
12 | Giveaways | 14 |
4 | Total Penalties | 3 |
8 | Penalty Minutes | 6 |
Game Information
Location: Buffalo, NY
Attendance: 16,644 | Capacity:
Location: Buffalo, NY
Attendance: 16,644 | Capacity:
2024-25 Atlantic Division Standings
TEAM | W | L | PTS | OTL |
---|---|---|---|---|
Florida | 11 | 4 | 23 | 1 |
Toronto | 10 | 6 | 22 | 2 |
Boston | 8 | 7 | 18 | 2 |
Ottawa | 8 | 7 | 16 | 0 |
Tampa Bay | 7 | 6 | 15 | 1 |
Detroit | 7 | 7 | 15 | 1 |
Buffalo | 7 | 8 | 15 | 1 |
Montreal | 5 | 9 | 12 | 2 |