The Florida Panthers played the fifth contest of a season-high six-game home stand and routed the Buffalo Sabres 4-1 at BB&T Center on Friday. The Panthers, who are on a five-game winning streak, have won 12 of their last 15 games and complete the home stand on Sunday afternoon against the Philadelphia Flyers.
It took just 1:25 into the first period for Florida(31-25-6) to get on the scoreboard. Jared McCann won a face-off in the left circle and Jamie McGinn pushed the puck back to Mike Matheson. He fired a wrist shot from the high slot by Robin Lehner for his ninth tally of the year.
A quick response happened by Buffalo(20-34-11) to tie it 1-1 at the 5:34 mark. Victor Antipin shot the puck from the top left circle and it was stopped by Ryan O'Reilly in the low slot. He backhanded it to his right where Sam Reinhart placed in a forehand shot by James Reimer for his 15th goal of the campaign.
The Panthers regained the lead with 3:19 left in the first. Aleksander Barkov won the left-circle draw and Evgenii Dadonov passed the puck from the left circle to Keith Yandle on the left point. He sent a diagonal pass to Aaron Ekblad in the right circle and he scored on a snap shot for his 13th goal this season.
The Cats expanded to a two-goal margin at 6:49 of the second period. Nick Bjugstad skated with the puck in the neutral zone and connected a lead pass to Barkov at the Sabres blue line. He split the defense, went through the slot area and shoveled in a backhand shot from the crease for his 24th goal.
Florida kept the momentum and make it 4-1 with 8:44 remaining in the frame. Bjugstad received a right-outlet pass from Derek MacKenzie on the right point and he stopped at right circle. He backhanded a shot on goal and Colton Sceviour pounced on the rebound for a score.
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