The Buffalo Sabres are hoping they have hit their stride, while the Florida Panthers are looking to find theirs again.
The Sabres will host the Panthers on Saturday afternoon in the first of four meetings between the Atlantic Division clubs.
After dropping their first three games of the season, Buffalo bounced back with an 8-4 rout of the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday.
Ryan McLeod scored two goals and had a team-best plus-3 rating, while Jason Zucker and Jack Quinn each tallied twice.
Injured in practice after taking a puck to the face, Zach Benson made his season debut with a face shield and notched four assists. Fellow winger Josh Doan added three assists.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said his team’s penalty-kill unit played the key role against Ottawa and energized the home crowd.
“To kill it, and then end up getting a short-handed goal, I thought we showed a lot of life. We showed a lot of passion,” Ruff said. “I think we fed off the energy (and) the building came to life.”
Sabres goalie Alex Lyon was a major contributor while with the Panthers during their run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2022-23.
Lyon, now 32, went 9-4-2 with a 2.89 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage during that season as Florida dealt with an injury to No. 1 netminder Sergei Bobrovsky.
Lyon is 1-3-0 with a 3.05 GAA and .912 save percentage in four games this season.
Following a hot start with three straight victories to open the season, Florida has floundered to start its five-game road trip. The Panthers dropped three-goal decisions to the Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators and a 3-1 setback to the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.
It got worse on Thursday night in New Jersey’s home opener despite backup goalie Daniil Tarasov’s stalwart effort keeping the Panthers in it through 40 minutes. However, third-period goals by Timo Meier and captain Nico Hischier sunk the visitors.
Previously a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Tarasov said his new teammates have welcomed him in his reserve role behind countryman Bobrovsky.
“There are really great (defensemen) here,” Tarasov said. “They really help me on the ice. Off the ice, they’re a really good group of guys here. They’re supporting me every day here.”
Scoring has been an issue for the Panthers.
They scored 11 times in three wins at home to start the season. They have four goals in three setbacks on the road, however.
A playoff star last season on a third line with Eetu Luostarinen and Anton Lundell, Brad Marchand assisted on Florida’s lone goal by Evan Rodrigues and briefly was injured in the second period. Marchand soon returned, however.
The ex-Boston Bruins forward leads the club with three goals and six points. He is tied with three teammates with three assists.
Marchand, 37, is the first Florida player that age or older to post a five-game point streak since Jaromir Jagr (2016-17).
