If the Buffalo Sabres want to turn around their season, they might want to consider playing the rest of their games in the state of Florida. The Sabres have swept their first of two Florida roadtrips for the tenth time in team history and it took a 4-3 shootout victory over Florida.
1st Period
– Nathan Gerbe has all of a sudden found his scoring touch with two goals on two shots to start the scoring off for the Sabres. The first goal kickstarted the Sabres scoring and came on a nice shot from the top of the faceoff dot. The second goal was just a nice rush and deke that went high and beat Clemmensen. The goals are the first for Gerbe in over a year, March 10, 2012.
– The Sabres powerplay was effective as well against the 29th ranked penalty kill in the league. Tyler Ennis scored his seventh goal of the year off a pass from Thomas Vanek. The assist is Vanek’s 28th point on the year. The powerplay goal is Buffalo’s 2nd road powerplay goal of the year.
– Steve Ott has assisted on each of Buffalo’s goals in the period. One more in the game and he would double his season total of four.
– The Panthers have been able to find the back of the net as well and the goals came 56 seconds apart. The first goal came on a Drew Shore power play after Adam Pardy went to the box for a questionable hooking call. The second came from Marcel Goc. The Panthers have two goals on nine shots while the Sabres have scored three times on 11.
2nd Period
– After a goal happy first period, both goaltenders settled down and kept both teams to a scoreless period. The Florida Panthers found their shooting touch as they put 16 shots on net, but Ryan Miller make all of the saves. Jose Theodore just faced five shots on net in the second. He came in for Scott Clemmensen late in the first.
– Have to admit, I didn’t expect Jack Skille to lead the Panthers with five shots on goal thus far in the game. Second on the team? That would be Marcel Goc. No Sabre has had more than two through forty minutes.
– The Sabres offense has been back on their heels for most of second period but unlike most second periods this team has had, they kept composed and didn’t give up any goals.
3rd Period/Overtime
– Eventually the onslaught of Panthers shots were going to cost the Sabres. After giving up 16 in the second period, the Panthers had 14 more shots before Brian Campbell scored with a minute and a half left. The Sabres managed only 13 shots total in that time frame.
– Brian Campbell had a nice shot off the faceoff that tied the game. Have to give him credit for that.
– The Sabres have had only a few scoring chances in the second and third periods. Gerbe and Ennis had a two on one in the middle of the third that just seemed wasted as Gerbe tried passing the puck to Ennis but it was intercepted and a shot was never taken.
– The overtime didn’t produce much of anything which is the status quo when facing the Florida Panthers. The bulk majority of their games went to a shootout last year, hence the terrible regulation/overtime wins.
– The Sabres are still undefeated when it comes to the shootout this season. They have only gotten to the skills competition twice though. Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville scored for the Sabres while Ryan Miller stopped both shooters.