The Buffalo Sabres earned a 5-3 victory over the Florida Panthers on Monday at KeyBank Center, snapping a two-game losing streak with a late third-period goal from Noah Östlund before Tage Thompson added insurance.
In a back-and-forth matchup, Östlund broke the tie with 12 minutes and 45 seconds remaining, converting Buffalo’s second power-play goal of the afternoon to give the Sabres the lead for good. Thompson followed with another goal to secure Buffalo’s first multi-goal advantage of the season through six games.
Josh Doan and Ryan McLeod also found the back of the net for the first time this season. Olen Zellweger recorded his first point as a Sabre, setting up McLeod’s goal with a primary assist.
BILLS GAME DAY: Buffalo heads to Los Angeles for Monday Night Football matchup with Rams (preview) Buffalo improved to 3-3-0 with the win, getting a strong performance from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen after an early goaltending change. Colten Ellis made his third start in four games but was replaced after surrendering two goals on nine shots. Luukkonen stopped 13 of the 14 shots he faced to earn the victory.
The win came with a significant concern on the blue line. Captain Rasmus Dahlin scored his second goal of the season but left the game with an upper-body injury. His final shift ended with 16 minutes and 16 seconds remaining in the second period, and the Sabres had not provided further details in the initial game report.
The Sabres return to the ice Tuesday when they visit the Montreal Canadiens at 6:30 p.m. at Bell Centre.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.
