Sabres Scratch Panthers

    The Florida Panthers ended a three-game home stand as they were beat by the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 in a shootout at BB&T Center on Thursday night. The Panthers fell to 1-5 this season when a game goes beyond regulation. Both teams combined with five goals in the first period.
    Buffalo(8-12-1) scored on their first shot of the game at 6:30 of the first period. Right wing Nathan Gerbe skated to the right-circle dot and stopped. He took a shot that deflected off center Peter Mueller's stick directly in front him and sailed over the right shoulder of Panthers goalie Scott Clemmensen.
    The Sabres added to their lead with nine minutes left in the period. Center Tyler Ennis sent a centering pass in the low slot that ricocheted off several players back to him in the low right circle. He then scored on their only power play of the game with a forehand shot. Buffalo was 1-for-36 in their last 10 games on the power play as they entered this game.
    Florida(6-9-5) connected on their first power-play attempt at 14:24 and cut the margin down to 2-1. Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov bashed a shot from the top of the zone that caromed off the back glass. Center Drew Shore put in the loose puck from the crease area for his second career goal.
    The Panthers tied the game just 56 seconds later. Center Marcel Goc scored in his second straight game. He bumped defenseman Robyn Regher off the puck while they were behind the Sabres cage and let a wrist shot go from the right side of the crease.
    Buffalo regained the lead 3-2 at 16:46 as Gerbe got his second goal of the game. He went around defenseman Erik Gudbranson and threw a backhand shot from the low right circle over Clemmensen's left shoulder. Jose Theodore replaced Clemmensen, who gave up three goals on 10 shots, for Florida in net after that goal.
    Neither team scored in the second period. Former Sabres and current Panthers defenseman Brian Campbell burned his former team on a game-tying goal with 1:26 left in the third period. Goc won the left circle face-off and guided the puck back to Campbell. He blasted a slapshot from the left point by Sabres goalie Ryan Miller for his sixth goal this season.
   The game went to a shootout when both teams could not score in overtime. Left wing Jonathan Huberdeau and Muller missed shootout attempts for Florida while left wing Thomas Vanek and right wing Jason Pominville scored for Buffalo as they won on the minimum four shots.
    Miller made 40 saves on 43 shots for the win and goes to 8-10-1. Theodore played over 48 minutes, made 15 saves and did not allow a goal as his record fell to 4-6-3. The Cats outshot the Sabres 43-25 which included a 16-5 edge in the second period. The Panthers will play a home-and-home series with the Carolina Hurricanes this weekend and will visit Raleigh on Saturday.