Buffalo, N.Y. — In a much-needed victory, the Buffalo Sabres secured a 5-2 triumph over the Florida Panthers, ending their season-opening three-game losing streak on Saturday night. Jordan Greenway and Tage Thompson found the net just 41 seconds apart in the first period, setting the tone for the game. Other contributors for the Sabres included Henri Jokiharju, Mattias Samuelsson, and Alex Tuch, who capped off the scoring with an empty-net goal. This game marked the first win for head coach Lindy Ruff in his return to the team, a significant milestone occurring 4,257 days since his last victory with Buffalo, which was a 4-2 win against Boston on February 15, 2013.
The Florida Panthers, the reigning Stanley Cup champions, faced challenges this game, missing key players such as captain Aleksander Barkov (lower body injury) and Matthew Tkachuk (illness). Despite scoring from Sam Bennett and Nate Schmidt, the Panthers have now suffered two consecutive losses following their season-opening win against Boston.
In his first starting appearance since a tough 6-2 defeat to the St. Louis Blues on February 14, 2023, Panthers goalie Spencer Knight managed to stop 22 shots. After that loss, Knight participated in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program to address his obsessive-compulsive disorder and spent last season in the minors.
Key takeaways from the match include the Panthers struggling without their star players, emphasizing Knight’s need for improvement, especially highlighted on Thompson’s goal that slipped through his legs from a distance. For the Sabres, this win prevents them from starting the season 0-4, while they also improved their record against Florida to 2-9-1 in their last 12 encounters. The power play remains a concern for Buffalo, going 0 for 3 in the game and continuing their season struggle at 0 for 14.
A crucial moment came early in the second period when Sabres goalie Devon Levi blocked a shot from Sam Reinhart during a 4-on-2 rush just 32 seconds in. This set up Jokiharju to score shortly afterward, extending Buffalo’s lead.
In an interesting statistical note, Panthers coach Paul Maurice has now recorded 738 career losses, the highest in NHL history, while Ruff ranks second. However, Maurice also holds the fourth position with 870 wins, while Ruff is close behind him in fifth with 865.
Looking ahead, the Panthers will continue their four-game road trip with a match against Columbus on Monday night. The Sabres, meanwhile, are set to begin a three-game road swing in Pittsburgh on Wednesday night.