BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Matthew Tkachuk scored a goal and set up defenseman Brandon Montour’s eventual winner in the Florida Panthers’ 4-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.
Aaron Ekblad and Colin White also scored for the defending President’s Trophy-winning Panthers, who are off to a 2-0 start a year after winning their first eight. Spencer Knight stopped 24 shots in his season debut and improved to 4-0 against Buffalo after allowing a combined four goals in three starts against the Sabres last year.
Rasmus Dahlin and Alex Tuch had a goal and assist each for Buffalo. Zemgus Girgensons also scored.
Eric Comrie stopped 33 shots and assisted on Tuch’s game-opening goal, becoming Buffalo’s first goalie to earn an point in his Sabres debut. Buffalo signed the former Winnipeg Jets backup in free agency this summer.
The Sabres managed just five shots in the third period, went 0 of 4 on the power play and were unable to carry over the momentum from their 4-1 season-opening win over Ottawa.
The Panthers followed a 3-1 win at the New York Islanders on Thursday by getting their power play on track. After going 0 of 5 against the Isles, Florida converted 2 of 6 opportunities, with both goals coming in the second period.
With the game tied at 2, Ekblad scored the go-ahead goal 2:31 into the second period, with Dahlin serving a cross-checking penalty. Ekblad chased down a loose puck inside Buffalo’s blue line and found an open lane to snap a shot in from the left circle.
Montour made it 4-2 with 2:15 left in the period, and with Buffalo’s Jacob Bryson off for tripping. Tkachuk started the play by driving in from the right side and getting a shot on net which Comrie had difficulty handling. The puck squirted into the slot, from where Montour chipped it in.
Tkachuk used his imposing 6-foot-2, 201-pound frame to cause havoc in and around the Sabres’ net. He scored to put Florida ahead 2-1 with 1:51 left in the first period by first screening Comrie on Gustav Forsling’s shot from the left point. And then, as the puck was dribbling wide of the right post, Tkachuk used his long reach to sweep the puck in behind the goalie.
Tkachuk also drew the ire of the Sabres by taking a run at Buffalo’s Henri Jokiharju, which led to Tuch and Tkachuk exchanging shoves.
Acquired in a summer blockbuster trade that sent Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar and a first-round pick to Caglary, Tkachuk has a goal in each of his first two games.
Knight’s best save came four minutes into the second period, when he got across to his left, reached back and somehow managed to snag a shot from Jeff Skinner, who was left wide open at the post.
SHORT-HANDED
The Panthers are opening the season with a 20-player roster — three short of the NHL maximum — due to salary-cap constraints. The roster doesn’t include forward Anthony Duclair (Achilles tendon) and defenseman Matt Kierstad (lower body) out with injuries.
SWEEPING
Florida swept its four-game series over Buffalo last season, outscoring the Sabres by a combined margin of 22-11. That’s a reversal from 2019-20, when the Sabres swept a three-game set, including a shootout win.
UP NEXT
Panthers: Close three-game season-opening trip at the Boston Bruins on Monday.
Sabres: Open four-game trip at Edmonton on Tuesday.
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