Sabres Vs Panthers: Buffalo's 3-2 road win in Florida widens the gap in the Atlantic race
Why this matters now: In a tight division stretch, the result of this sabres vs panthers matchup changes who breathes easier. Buffalo’s 3-2 victory in Florida lifts the Sabres to 74 points, placing them 11 points clear of the Panthers and leaving Buffalo poised to end the night in second place in the Atlantic Division. Small margins in late-game officiating and special teams swung the outcome.
Immediate impact: standings, momentum and who feels it first
Buffalo’s win pushes tangible separation in the standings — the Sabres sit at 74 points and are now 11 points ahead of Florida. That cushion affects travel planning, lineup decisions and the urgency of the Panthers’ next slate. Here’s the part that matters: a late disputed goal and an empty-net clincher shifted not just the scoreboard but the narrative for both clubs for the coming days.
Sabres Vs Panthers — decisive plays, the challenge and the turning point
Beck Malenstyn supplied the decisive strike with 8: 22 remaining in the third period — a slap shot from up high that broke a 1-1 tie. Florida challenged that play on grounds of goaltender interference; officials reviewed and ruled the goal good, leaving the on-ice call intact. Peyton Krebs added an empty-net goal late to seal the result; that goal was his fifth empty-netter of the season, tied for the NHL lead.
Game details and scoring timeline
The contest, played Friday at Amerant Bank Arena, unfolded with special-teams moments and late drama. The scoring sequence:
- Period 1, 17: 48 (PP) — BUF 1, FLA 0: Alex Tuch from Ryan McLeod and Bowen Byram
- Period 2, 13: 51 (PP) — BUF 1, FLA 1: Matthew Tkachuk from Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand
- Period 3, 11: 38 — BUF 2, FLA 1: Beck Malenstyn from Josh Norris and Noah Ostlund
- Period 3, 18: 43 (EN) — BUF 3, FLA 1: Peyton Krebs from Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch
- Period 3, 19: 23 — BUF 3, FLA 2: Sam Bennett (unassisted)
Goaltending, season series and special-teams notes
Alex Lyon started in net for Buffalo and finished with 27 saves on 29 shots. He improved to 3-0-0 against the Panthers this season, and the Sabres closed the season series at 3-1-0. Alex Tuch not only opened the scoring on a first-period power play but later added an assist. Special teams were consequential: both teams scored on power plays and an empty-netter ultimately sealed the result.
Key takeaways:
- The upheld challenge on Malenstyn’s goal directly decided the game’s lead change late in the third period.
- Peyton Krebs’ empty-net goal was his fifth this season and is tied for the NHL lead in that category.
- Alex Lyon’s 27 saves and his unbeaten mark versus this opponent this season underline his reliability in these matchups.
- The Sabres finish the night 11 points ahead of the Panthers and listed second in the Atlantic Division standings.
Next steps: schedule and access notes
The Sabres conclude their road trip Saturday at 7 p. m. ET against the Tampa Bay Lightning; pregame coverage begins at 6: 30 ET. Highlights from this nailbiter are available for viewing, though some readers encountered a browser-not-supported message on a media page and were prompted to update or download a modern browser for a better experience.
The real question now is how the Panthers respond with limited room in the standings and whether Buffalo can sustain this separation through its remaining schedule. It’s easy to overlook, but the combination of special-teams success and goaltending consistency has been the immediate difference in this series.
Writer’s aside: The upheld interference challenge and the timing of the empty-netter made for an emotional finish; those two moments, more than anything else, decided this one.
