Panthers Snap 5-Game Skid With 4-1 Victory Over Sabres
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BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Roberto Luongo broke a tie with Curtis Joseph for fourth place on the NHL career victory list with 455, making 24 saves in the Florida Panthers' 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night.
Evgenii Dadonov and Aleksander Barkov each had a goal and an assist, and Ian McCoshen and Vincent Trocheck also scored to help the Panthers snap a five-game skid.
Kyle Okposo scored for the Sabres, and Robin Lehner stopped 27 shots.
Buffalo is 4-4-0 in its last eight games after a 1-5-2 start but has yet to win consecutive games this season.
McCoshen scored 3:50 into the third period on a wrist shot from the blue line that slid past Lehner's right skate.
Luongo's biggest save came with less than seven minutes left in the third period when he lifted his glove above his head to catch Sam Reinhart's shot from the high slot.
Dadonov tied it 6:52 into the second period, scoring his seventh of the season from his knees off the from Aleksander Barkov's shot.
Barkov and Trocheck scored into the empty net 17 seconds apart late in the third period. Trocheck has a goal in four straight games.
Okposo gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead with 6:58 left in the first period when he deflected Victor Antipin's shot from the point past Luongo. The power play goal was the Sabres' second in nine games.
NOTES: The Panthers acquired D Ludwig Bystrom from the Dallas Stars on Friday in exchange for D Reece Scarlett. Bystrom was loaned to Springfield Thunderbirds. ... Sabres D Nathan Beaulieu returned to the lineup after missing seven games with an upper-body injury. . Panthers D Mike Matheson (upper-body) got back on the ice after sitting out one game. ... Sabres D Josh Gorges missed his ninth game but skated the past two days and is ready to return, Sabres coach Phil Housley said. ... Sabres F Evander Kane had an assist on Okposo's goal and now has 16 points in 16 games. ... Panthers F Dryden Hunt made his NHL debut. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in March 2016. ... Luongo is 19-8-2 against Buffalo in his career.
UP NEXT:
Panthers: At New Jersey on Saturday night
Sabres: At Montreal on Saturday night.
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