Sam Reinhart gave the Panthers a fighting chance in Buffalo, but Florida’s defensive leaks and shaky third period proved too much to overcome in a 5-3 loss to the Sabres on Monday afternoon.
The defeat at KeyBank Center marked Florida’s second straight in regulation and left the Panthers at 2-2-2 heading into Tuesday night’s matchup with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Buffalo needed less than six minutes to strike first. Josh Doan turned a Gustav Forsling dump-in attempt into a quick transition chance, then beat Jacob Markstrom with a wrist shot from the bottom of the right faceoff circle at 5:58.
Florida answered a little over five minutes later with a goal built on pressure and persistence. The Panthers’ fourth line kept the Sabres pinned, the Lundell line kept the shift alive, and Aaron Ekblad’s point shot created the opening. Colton Ellis made the initial stop, but the rebound landed at Anton Lundell’s stick beside the crease, and he shoved it through Ellis’ five-hole to tie things at 1-1.
The Sabres reclaimed the edge on the power play after Dmitry Kulikov was whistled for holding. Rasmus Dahlin finished off the chance, and Buffalo’s man-advantage unit - which had been just 1-for-17 coming in - cashed in again.
Florida’s own power play had been stuck in the mud too, sitting at 1-for-28 before this one. That changed early in the second period when Owen Zellweger was called for tripping Sam Reinhart.
Reinhart made the most of it by planting himself near the crease and knocking in Seth Jones’ point shot after it slipped through Ellis’ pads, drawing the Panthers even at 2-2.
He wasn’t finished. After Ryan McLeod pushed Buffalo back ahead 3-2 on a breakaway, Reinhart buried his second power-play goal of the night, finishing a slick between-the-legs feed from Brady Tkachuk to pull Florida level once more.
The goaltending changed for both teams before the second period was over. Florida turned to Akira Schmid to start the middle frame after Markstrom stopped nine of 11 shots in the opening period, while Buffalo went to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen after Reinhart’s first power-play goal.
From there, the Sabres closed harder. Buffalo scored again on the power play at 7:15 of the third period, then Tage Thompson added an insurance marker 6:05 later to seal it.
Florida’s comeback effort kept getting close, but never quite all the way there. The Panthers leave Buffalo with a split of frustration and urgency, and they’ll have to reset quickly with Columbus on deck Tuesday at Nationwide Arena. Puck drop is set for 6:15 p.m. as the NHL stages its annual Frozen Frenzy with all 32 games on a staggered schedule.
In Other News...
Panthers Fans Finally Got The Kind Of Blowout Night They Wanted
The kind of night Panthers fans had been waiting for finally showed up against Columbus, and it came with plenty of offense attached. Florida rolled to a 7-3 win, got goals from Brady Tkachuk in a steady burst, and saw Matthew Tkachuk keep the puck moving with four assists as the Panthers kept pressing on multiple power plays and stretched out a few productive runways against the Blue Jackets.
Akira Schmid also had a clean first win in a Panthers sweater, stopping 22 shots and giving the lineup a dependable backstop behind all that scoring. For a team that had been looking for a true blowout to match the mood in the building, this one delivered the full package, even if the bigger takeaway may be how many Panthers left with their personal streaks still rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Dylan Larkin Trade Talk Now Hinges On One Massive Detroit Decision
Dylan Larkins situation in Detroit has quietly become one of the more interesting storylines around the league, and it naturally has Florida watching closely. The Red Wings center reportedly has asked for a trade while holding a full no-trade clause, which gives him real control over where this goes next, and the Panthers are said to be among the teams he would consider. There is at least some built-in familiarity there, too, from past international play and connections through management, which helps explain why Florida keeps surfacing in the conversation.
From the Panthers side, the appeal is obvious if a player of Larkins caliber actually becomes available, but the cap math would not be simple. A deal would likely force Florida to move a significant contract to create enough room, the kind of transaction that could involve a core piece or a key roster regular rather than a simple depth shuffle. For a team with championship ambitions, that is the real tension here: the fit is easy to imagine, while the path to actually making it work is anything but. [Read more 🡒]
Tkachuk Brothers Just Showed Why This Panthers Line Feels Different
For a Panthers team that has spent plenty of time looking for the right kind of chemistry on its top end, the second period against Columbus was as clear a reminder as it gets. Brady Tkachuk took over with a three-goal burst, and Matthew Tkachuk was right in the middle of all of it, feeding each score and helping set the tone for a line that suddenly looked like it had been built to overwhelm opponents in a hurry.
The family connection only sharpened the impact, because this was Bradys first three-goal game as a Panther and the third hat trick of his NHL career. Matthew kept adding to the playmaking touch later in the game, leaving Florida with more than just a big offensive night and a little extra evidence that this pairing can make the middle of a game feel like a runaway. [Read more 🡒]