Jonathan Huberdeau, Jayce Hawryluk and Aleksander Barkov scored 2:35 apart in the third period as the Florida Panthers rallied to defeat the Buffalo Sabres 4-2 on Tuesday night in Sunrise, Fla.
Huberdeau then scored again, a spectacular goal with 3:15 left in the third period, deking All-Star Jeff Skinner and then making another move, this one on Sabres goalie Linus Ullmark.
Panthers goalie James Reimer made 32 saves and won his third straight start, a stretch that coincides with Florida's three-game win streak.
Buffalo got a second-period goal from Jack Eichel, his 19th tally of the season and his first in 13 career games against the Panthers. Buffalo's Vladimir Sobotka scored with eight seconds left and the game virtually decided.
Ullmark, who made 37 saves, was working on a possible shutout before giving up the barrage of goals in the third.
The Sabres, who lost their third straight game, have been slipping ever since their 10-game win streak was snapped on Nov. 29. Since that date, the Sabres are 11-18-5.
Barkov's goal was his 23rd of the season, and he added two assists. Barkov, who has seven points in his past two games, leads the Panthers with 60 points this season.
Buffalo was victimized by Florida's top line of Barkov, Huberdeau and Frank Vatrano. They combined for eight points on the night.
Buffalo opened the scoring with a power-play goal with 5:14 expired in the second period. Eichel took a perfect pass from Sam Reinhart and scored from point-blank range on a redirection. The goal was set up when Vatrano was called for holding Buffalo's Rasmus Ristolainen.
The Panthers tied the score with 3:07 gone in the third period as Vatrano's pass freed Huberdeau for a breakaway. Huberdeau then slipped the puck between Ullmark's pads.
The Panthers took a 2-1 lead just 43 seconds later. Vincent Trocheck's shot hit the right post, and the puck bounced out and then back in off the body of a charging Hawryluk. The Sabres challenged the call, but the goal stood.
Barkov's goal with 5:42 expired in the third period gave the Panthers a 3-1 advantage.
Eichel appeared to score again, this time with 12:53 gone in the third. However, the Panthers won a video challenge when it was ruled that the Sabres were offside.
Immediately following the review, the Panthers killed off a penalty, and Huberdeau's second goal of the night iced Florida's victory.
--Field Level Media
Buffalo | Florida | |
Jack Eichel 1 | Points | Jonathan Huberdeau 3 |
Jack Eichel 1 | Goals | Jonathan Huberdeau 2 |
Zemgus Girgensons 1 | Assists | Aleksander Barkov 2 |
Jack Eichel 1 | Power Play Goals | N/A |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Linus Ullmark .902 | Save Percentage | James Reimer .941 |
Linus Ullmark 37 | Saves | James Reimer 32 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Buffalo | 34 | 2 | 1-4 | 4-4 | 8 | 27 |
Florida | 41 | 4 | 0-4 | 3-4 | 8 | 33 |