Dawn, Fla. (AP) — All Florida required was 1 level to ensure its postseason operate would start out at household. And after that endeavor was completed, Sam Reinhart made a decision to put an exclamation point on things.
Reinhart bought his 55th target of the period with 1:02 remaining in time beyond regulation, and the Panthers clinched house ice for at least Spherical 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs by beating the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 in the following-to-previous regular-season sport for each teams on Saturday.
“We’re thrilled about the challenge ahead,” Reinhart claimed. “It’s setting up for authentic rather quickly. Do what you can to get house-ice gain. That is the natural beauty of playoffs at the conclusion of the working day, it’s a fight, it is a war, Recreation 1. And we’re wanting forward to that.”
Reinhart took a pass from Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov and delivered the winner. Anton Lundell and Kevin Stenlund also scored for Florida, and Matthew Tkachuk had an aid — his 60th of the year, the third straight yr he’s experienced that lots of.
Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 27 photographs for Florida, getting the acquire in his 700th profession activity. He’s the 32nd goalie in league history to strike that milestone, and just one of three still lively.
“An extraordinary accomplishment,” Panthers mentor Paul Maurice stated.
Tyson Jost and Jack Quinn scored for Buffalo, which acquired 39 will save from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. The Sabres acquired a position off Florida for only the next time in the teams’ past 11 conferences they’re 1-9-1 in that span.
Florida experienced a 5-moment electrical power enjoy in the 3rd after Buffalo defenseman Connor Clifton was specified a match penalty for an illegal check out to the head of Panthers’ middle Nick Cousins. But the Panthers received nothing at all previous Luukkonen, who stopped 7 pictures to preserve what was a 2-2 tie.
The Sabres came by way of with a further penalty kill with the video game on the line. Buffalo’s Alex Tuch took a high-sticking penalty with 34.9 seconds still left in regulation. Florida did not get a shot on objective prior to the 3rd period expired, then experienced a 4-on-3 benefit to start overtime as the electricity enjoy ongoing — and the Sabres thwarted them once again.
“The penalty get rid of was really excellent and seemed extremely self-assured,” Sabres coach Don Granato said.
The teams put together to rating four goals — two for Florida, two for Buffalo — in a 6:49 span of the initially period, all on 7 merged pictures. It was 2-2 by the midpoint of that opening period, creating it seem to be like a wild just one was brewing.
But there was no a lot more scoring until eventually the end.
Jost was credited with his initial objective considering that Dec. 2 when he deflected a shot by Rasmus Dahlin earlier Bobrovsky at 2:59 of the to start with, ending Florida’s bid for a 3rd straight shutout. Lundell tied it for Florida at 5:02, with Tkachuk acquiring a single of the assists on that aim.
Stenlund scored shorter-handed about three minutes later, right before Quinn knotted matters up on the energy participate in.
UP Subsequent
Sabres: Check out Tampa Bay on Monday night time in their season finale.
Panthers: Host Toronto on Tuesday evening in their common-period finale.
Copyright 2024 The Linked Press. All rights reserved. This materials may perhaps not be printed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
