Sabres 3, Panthers 2
SUNRISE, Fla. - The Buffalo Sabres, who had lost eight straight games against Florida Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo, snapped that streak, prevailing 3-2 on Thursday night at the BB&T Center.
The Sabres (8-8-0) got their first win against Luongo since 2010 and passed the Panthers (6-7-3) in the Atlantic Division standings.
Buffalo got goals from right winger Brian Gionta, defenseman Cody Franson and center Sam Reinhart. It was the first goal of the season for Gionta, a two-time 40-goal scorer who had 13 markers last season.
Sabres goalie Linus Ullmark, a 6-foot-3 rookie from Sweden, earned the win in just his sixth NHL game.
The only goals he allowed were by left winger Jonathan Huberdeau and center Vincent Trocheck. Huberdeau's goal ended a drought by the NHL's 2012-2013 Rookie of the Year. Huberdeau had 15 goals last season.
Trocheck's goal came on a deflection with 4:00 left in the third period. The Panthers pulled Luongo with 1:55 left but could not get the equalizer despite some frantic final moments.
The Sabres went up 2-1 with 1:07 left in the second period. Playing at even strength, Buffalo kept the puck in the Panthers' zone for 73 seconds before finally scoring on Franson's slap shot.
Buffalo pushed the lead to 3-1 on Reinhart's power-play goal with 16:22 left in the third period. After the Sabres drew a hooking call against Florida defenseman Dmitry Kulikov, Buffalo took advantage. Ennis fired a slap shot, and Reinhart deflected the puck past Luongo.
After Florida went 0-for-2 on early power-play opportunities, Buffalo opened the scoring with 31 seconds left in the first period on Gionta's goal.
The goal was set up when left winger Matt Moulson won a battle along the boards against Panthers defenseman Willie Mitchell. Moulson centered the puck to Gionta, whose wrist shot beat Luongo high to the glove side.
Buffalo appeared to make it 2-0 on a goal by right winger Tyler Ennis with 13:27 left in the second period. However, Florida challenged the goal, hoping for an offside call when Buffalo entered the zone. The officials agreed with the Panthers, ruling that Sabres center Jack Eichel was offside, disallowing the goal.
Florida tied the score 1-1 on a power-play goal by Huberdeau with 10:25 left in the second period. The opportunity arose when Buffalo center Zemgus Girgensons hooked Panthers right winger Jaromir Jagr.
There were just 21 seconds left on the power play when Huberdeau, hovering in front of the net, pounced on a rebound.
Buffalo challenged the goal, believing Huberdeau interfered with Ullmark. However, the officials, seeing that Huberdeau was pushed by Sabres defenseman Jake McCabe into Ullmark, ruled it a good goal.
NOTES: Panthers C Aleksander Barkov, who has missed three weeks due to a broken hand, is back at practice and is expected to return within one week. ... Florida scratched D Steven Kampfer and LW Shawn Thornton. ... Sabres coach Dan Bylsma called off Thursday's morning skate, giving his team a "beach day." ... Sabres D Mike Weber (lower body) is out. ... Buffalo also scratched LW Nicolas Deslauriers. ... Sabres rookie C Jack Eichel, who led the NCAA in scoring as an 18-year-old freshman last season with 71 points in 40 games, has not been a disappointment so far as the NHL's second overall draft pick. The Hobey Baker Award winner entered Thursday with a team-high six goals. ... Sabres starting G Robin Lehner (ankle) is expected to return within the next month. Lehner, 24, acquired in an offseason trade with Ottawa, was hurt in his Sabres debut.