BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Aleksander Barkov had a goal and two assists, and the Florida Panthers won their third straight game, beating the Buffalo Sabres 6-1 on Monday night.
Anthony Duclair added a goal and an assist. Noel Acciari, Carter Verhaeghe, and Patric Hornqvist also scored during a four-goal second period. Former Sabre Brandon Montour opened the scoring for the Panthers, who lead the NHL in averaging more than four goals per game. They have out-scored opponents 15-3 during their win streak.
Mason Marchment had three assists, and Sam Reinhart one in his first game back in Buffalo following an offseason trade. Spencer Knight made 28 saves to win his first Panthers start since Feb. 1 after getting called up from the minors.
Florida opened a back-to-back trip with its fourth consecutive road victory and eighth in 10 games away from home. The Panthers (38-13-5) moved ahead of Tampa Bay (37-12-6) in the Atlantic Division with 81 points and an additional game played.
John Hayden tipped in Rasmus Asplund’s shot for Buffalo's lone goal, ending Knight’s bid for his first NHL shutout with 6:15 left in the third period. Craig Anderson stopped 25 shots for the Sabres, who lost their second in a row following a two-game streak and dropped to 2-8-0 in their past 10 games.
The Panthers scored their 10th power-play goal in eight games, and Jonathan Huberdeau recorded his NHL-best 59th assist when he set up Barkov for his team-leading 26th goal at 6:50 of the third period.
Florida built a 5-0 lead midway through the second period by scoring four times in a span of 6:48.
The surge started 5:54 into the period when Acciari scored his first in four games since returning from a preseason shoulder injury. Barkov fed Duclair for his 22nd on a power play 1:45 later. After four scoreless minutes, Verhaeghe netted his 17th and Hornqvist his ninth 1:03 apart.
Barkov’s pass from behind the net set up Montour in the slot for the Panthers’ league-best 73rd first-period goal 5:22 into the game.
TRAINERS ROOM
Panthers: Rookie F Anton Lundell went to the dressing room in the first period and did not return after being knocked down by Buffalo’s Mattias Samuelsson. … F Ryan Lomberg (undisclosed injury) is expected “back pretty soon” after being placed on injured reserve Sunday, interim coach Andrew Brunette said.
Sabres: F Alex Tuch remained in the lineup after being listed as a game-time decision following his head-first collision with the goal post in the third period of Sunday’s 3-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. Tuch said Monday that he was in pain after the game, but medical tests showed no structural damage to his neck or signs of a concussion.
UP NEXT:
Panthers: At Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
Sabres: Host Vegas on Thursday in first meeting with Jack Eichel since Buffalo traded the former captain to the Golden Knights in December.
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