Atlantic Division foes will try to snap out of their respective rough patches when the Buffalo Sabres host the Florida Panthers in a Monday matinee.
The U.S. Columbus Day tilt marks the first meeting between the rivals this season. Buffalo won three of four from Florida last season.
The Sabres are wrapping up a five-game homestand. They started out by defeating the Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild but then fell to the Dallas Stars and Utah Mammoth. The Stars shut them out 4-0 on Thursday, while the Mammoth dug out of an early hole for a 4-1 victory on Saturday.
Tage Thompson put Buffalo ahead 1-0 against Utah in the first period with his team-high third goal of the year, but the Mammoth scored the next four for the win. Anders Lee, John Marino, Kailer Yamamoto each had a goal and an assist, while Barrett Hayton had two assists.
Sabres backup netminder Colten Ellis made 26 saves in the loss.
“I just thought we had guys that were squeezing the stick,” Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said. “We had chances to put pucks to the net. I think everybody realizes that we didn’t put them (in). And I think sometimes when things aren’t going well, you defer to move in the pocket to make what you think is a better play. … We haven’t been connected. We’re trying to find who we are.”
Only five teams in the NHL are allowing more goals per game than Buffalo’s 3.80 mark. With Alex Lyon (upper-body injury) on injured reserve, the Sabres have resorted to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (4.02 goals-against average) and Ellis, who is beginning his second season in the league.
The Panthers are also trying to get back into the win column after falling 4-1 to the visiting Minnesota Wild on Saturday in Florida’s home opener.
Minnesota took a 2-0 lead before Matthew Tkachuk scored Florida’s lone goal in the second frame. Panthers goalie Jacob Markstrom made 25 saves and allowed a power-play goal.
“We were just slower than they were,” Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said. “We were slow in all parts of our game. But (Minnesota) was quick in how they moved the puck, their feet. We were just sluggish. There were two or three reads that we normally don’t miss, and they are in the back of our net. Being back on your heels early in your home opener puts attention on your game.”
The Panthers have dropped three of their past four and have scored more than two goals only once this season. They rank 30th of 32 teams at 1.80 goals per game, with Tkachuk leading the team with three goals and four points.
The Panthers are continuing to navigate early-season setbacks to forwards Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand, each of whom are expected to return from their respective left knee injuries in several weeks.
