| Florida Panthers vs Buffalo Sabres | |||||
| Team | P1 | P2 | P3 | OT | Total |
 Florida Panthers | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
 Buffalo Sabres | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Current Status: Final (OT) | |||||
Buffalo start season-ending Florida trip with defeat
Score: Buffalo Sabres 2-3 Florida Panthers (OT)
Shots: BUF 29-42 FLA
Buffalo Sabres Goals: Jost (3), Quinn (9 PP)
Florida Panthers Goals: Lundell (13), Stenlund (11 SHG)
Plus/Minus 1: Special teams, again
Whenever I’ve done previews and recaps this season, it’s almost a given that I’ll end up writing about the power play and penalty kill units, mostly because one or both units have been abysmal for long stretches this season.
Last night, the power play gave up yet another short handed goal, with Rasmus Dahlin the culprit, getting caught on the puck by Stenlund who then slotted home. That was the Sabres’ tenth shorthanded goal against, tied with two other teams while there are another two teams tied top with twelve. Quinn’s goal was their first power play goal in three games, but overall the Sabres are only 28th in the league in power plays – inexcusable given how much skill and talent they have.
Credit where it’s due though, with the penalty kill coming up big when they needed it badly. They went two for two killing off a Peyton Krebs tripping penalty and Connor Clifton five minute major before Alex Tuch got whistled for high-sticking with just over thirty seconds left in regulation. The Sabres were excellent then too, including keeping the Panthers out 3-on-2 in overtime for about a minute and a half. That unit is now up to 14th in the league, and have given up just three goals while shorthanded in the last nine games.
Plus 2: Going toe-to-toe
The Panthers are not an easy team to score against, and with their top forwards being shut down by the hosts, it was good to see some secondary scoring. Tyler Jost had the opener while comeback kid Jack Quinn continues to show how important he can be to this side when fully fit. Quinn has 17 points now in 16 games, which is about 54 point pace – that would have had him in the top five scorers on this roster for the season. Given the drop-offs in Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens numbers, it’s actually not surprising to see the Sabres not make the playoffs.
After that track meet start to the game, both sides locked things down and there was no further scoring until overtime. Credit to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen again who was strong between the pipes stopping 27 shots in the second and third periods. He’s played a lot this season, last night was his 51st start. This is very good experience for the goalie as he grows into his body and his role as the starting goaltender.
Minus 2: All’s bad that ends badly?
There was way too much pain in how this game ended. Cozens did really well to backcheck and kill off a play in overtime, but then got caught in possession with Aleksander Barkov stripping him of the puck to feed Sam Reinhart (sigh), who slotted home past UPL to end the game. Maybe it was watching Reino bang in his 55th of the season, or one of the Sabres’ biggest whipping boys Cozens lose the puck to lose the game, or just the frustration boiling over from missing the postseason yet again, but the overwhelming emotion has been of irritation.
Way too easy to jump aboard the Cozens criticism choo-choo train, but count me out. The kid was having a difficult start to the season and getting his head wobbled by Flyers enforcer Garnet Hathaway didn’t help. If anything, he hasn’t been right since then and hopefully gets some much needed rest and help over the summer. If we know anything about the 23-year-old and the high work ethic standards he holds himself up to, then he will be more disappointed than anyone else with not only how the game ended last night but also how the season has gone. I for one will be backing the Workhorse from Whitehorse to bounce back in a big way.
Final Thoughts
The Sabres took a streaking Panthers team to overtime, one that has been neck and neck with the Boston Bruins at the top of the division all season, and came away with a point. In a vacuum or even earlier in the season, this was a good effort and a good result. To be fair, Florida have had Buffalo’s number in recent years. Basically since COVID, the Sabres are now 1-1-9 against the Panthers, including a season sweep this season. Buffalo just doesn’t match up well with that team, and will have to solve them just like they will have to solve the Bruins to get anywhere next season.
Comment of the Game goes to SouprMatt who notes that it’s quite appropriate the Sabres are closing out the campaign in Florida.
Nice they finish the season in Florida; they can go straight to the golf course Tuesday morning.
They will still have to come back to Buffalo for the formalities that follow the completion of the season and all that, but there’s no hiding the intense disappointment of the fanbase who for the first time in years had genuine hopes that they would still be watching the Sabres once shorts and t-shirt weather gets here.