Florida only needed a single point to secure the advantage of starting the playoffs at home. Once that was achieved, Sam Reinhart decided to make a statement.
Reinhart scored his 55th goal of the season with just over a minute left in overtime, ensuring that the Panthers would have home-ice advantage for at least the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs by defeating the Buffalo Sabres 3-2.
“We’re eager for the challenges ahead,” Reinhart commented. “The playoffs are about to start for real soon. It’s important to secure home-ice advantage. That’s what makes playoffs thrilling; it’s a battle from the very beginning. And we’re ready for that.”
Reinhart received a pass from Panthers’ captain Aleksander Barkov and scored the winning goal. Anton Lundell and Kevin Stenlund also contributed goals for Florida, with Matthew Tkachuk providing an assist — his 60th of the season, marking the third consecutive year he’s reached that milestone.
Sergei Bobrovsky made 27 saves for Florida, claiming victory in his 700th career game. He’s now the 32nd goalie in NHL history to reach that milestone, and one of only three active goalies. “An amazing achievement,” praised Panthers coach Paul Maurice.
Tyson Jost and Jack Quinn found the net for Buffalo, with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen making 39 saves. This game marked only the second time in their last 11 meetings that the Sabres managed to earn a point against Florida, with their record in that span being 1-9-1.
During the third period, Buffalo’s Connor Clifton received a match penalty for an illegal check to the head of Panthers’ center Nick Cousins, giving Florida a 5-minute power play. Despite numerous opportunities, the Panthers couldn’t break the tie.
Buffalo also successfully killed off a penalty late in the third period when Alex Tuch was called for high-sticking. Florida had another chance on the power play in overtime but failed to capitalize.
“The penalty kill was very effective and appeared very confident,” noted Sabres coach Don Granato. The first period saw a flurry of goals, with four scored in just under seven minutes, leaving the score tied 2-2 halfway through the period, hinting at an action-packed game ahead.
