Sabres Speed By Panthers

     The Buffalo Sabres breezed by the Florida Panthers 5-2 at BB&T Center on Sunday night. After a road game in Washington on Wednesday, the Panthers will play nine consecutive games at home.
     Buffalo(11-9-3) got on the scoreboard with 3:36 left in the first period. Jack Eichel skated the puck through the neutral zone and to the low right circle. His centering pass was redirected in by Jeff Skinner from the middle of the crease past Sam Montembeault. It was the ninth goal of the season for Skinner.
     The Sabres extended it to 2-0 with 1:37 remaining. Brandon Montour dropped a pass from the left circle back to Zemgus Girgensons. He snapped a shot from the top left circle.
     In the second period, Buffalo made it a three-goal lead at the 3:42 mark. Rasmus Dahlen sent a cross-ice pass from the left circle to Eichel on the top right circle. He carried it into the right circle and then fired a forehand shot for his 14th goal of the year.
     Florida(12-7-5) closed the gap to 3-1 at 9:29 of the second. Dominic Toninato tipped a backhand pass from the low slot ahead to Noel Acciari at the top of the crease and he followed with a wrist shot by Linus Ullmark.
     Sam Reinhart connected a cross-ice pass in the neutral zone to Victor Olofsson in the middle of the ice. He marched into the Panthers zone and released a wrist shot with 5:19 left in the period for a Sabres 4-1 lead.
     The Panthers scored on the power play and pulled to 4-2 at 3:08 of the third period. Vincent Trocheck sent the puck from the right point to the top of the zone. Aaron Ekblad angled a pass to his left and Brett Connolly blasted a one-time slap shot from above the left circle for his 11st goal of the campaign.
     Buffalo made it 5-2 with 6:35 remaining in the third. Jimmy Vesey pushed the puck to Girgensons at the Panthers blue line. He went through the right circle, put a shot on goal from the right of the crease and lifted in the rebound from the blue paint.