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| 4:00 PM PT5:00 PM MT6:00 PM CT7:00 PM ET0:00 GMT8:00 5:00 PM MST7:00 PM EST4:00 UAE (+1)19:00 ETNaN:� BRT, February 24, 2023 FLA Live Arena, Sunrise, Florida Attendance: 18,075 |
Panthers' Anthony Duclair set to return for key game vs. Sabres
Buffalo Sabres at Florida Panthers
- The Panthers stretched their winning streak against Buffalo to six games with a 4-1 road victory on Jan. 16 as Matthew Tkachuk collected three assists. Florida also has won 12 of the last 14 meetings at FLA Live Arena.
- The Sabres pulled out a 6-5 win at Tampa Bay on Thursday on Ilya Lyubushkin's shorthanded goal 1:41 into overtime. They've won three straight road games and are second in the NHL with an .800 road winning percentage (15-3-2) since Nov. 22.
- Tage Thompson on Thursday notched his fourth hat trick of 2022-23, the most in a season by a Sabre since Drew Stafford had four in 2010-11. He's the second player with 39 goals through Buffalo's first 56 games of the season and the first since Alexander Mogilny (54) in 1992-93.
- The Panthers have split their last six games after rallying for a 4-3 victory over Anaheim on Monday on Carter Verhaeghe's goal 1:42 into overtime. They've won seven of their last nine at home and are 17-2-1 at home against Atlantic Division opponents over the last two seasons.
- Matthew Tkachuk contributed a pair of assists on Monday and is second in the NHL with 26 multi-point games, already the seventh-highest single-season total in Panthers history. He has eight goals and nine assists in 12 career games against Buffalo.
- Jeff Skinner is coming off his 15th multi-point game of the season, three away from the career high he set last season. He has two goals and four assists during a four-game point streak and needs two points to become the 51st active player to reach the 600 mark.
A chance to move into the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot is on the line when the Buffalo Sabres face the Florida Panthers on Friday in Sunrise, Fla.
The Sabres are coming off a 6-5 overtime win against the host Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, a victory that moved them to within two points of the Detroit Red Wings, who currently sit in the final wild-card position, and the Panthers.
A victory in regulation against Florida would put Buffalo in a tie with Detroit and Florida in points, but the Sabres have four games in hand on the Panthers and three games in hand on the Red Wings.
"We try to push to the playoffs right now and it's so important for us," said Buffalo defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin, who scored the game-winner against the Lightning on a short-handed breakaway. "We need it. Game by game and we try to get in a better spot."
Tage Thompson notched his league-leading fourth hat trick of the season in the win against Tampa Bay, setting a career high with 39 goals and increasing his career-best point total to 75.
"For me, when I'm skating up the ice, I'm just trying to get open, find a spot and most of the time (defenseman Rasmus Dahlin and winger Jeff Skinner) will find you," he said. "It was one of those nights where everything was coming to me."
Florida hasn't played since earning a 4-3 overtime win against the visiting Anaheim Ducks on Monday. The Panthers have alternated wins and losses over their past seven games. They haven't won consecutive games since capturing three straight from Jan. 28-Feb. 9.
Despite the team's up-and-down season, it's been nothing but up for forward Carter Verhaeghe, who hit the 30-goal mark for the first time in his career when he scored in OT on Monday. He leads the Panthers in goals and is second on the team with 52 points, three points shy of his career high set last season.
"I always believe in myself and know that I have another gear," Verhaeghe told the team's website. "The more I play, the more I can get better. That's been pretty much my whole career. I'm just trying to learn and find new ways to score. I want to be a better player ever day."
It's expected the Panthers will get a boost to their lineup against Buffalo, with forward Anthony Duclair in line to make his season debut after recovering from offseason surgery to repair an Achilles tendon injury.
"I'm very excited," he said. "It's been awhile. I've never been out long term like that. It's definitely been a grind. I've learned a lot and grew from it. There's a lot of emotions, especially this week. I feel back to where I was. I feel 100 percent. I feel great and I'm looking forward to it."
The Panthers could also get center Sam Bennett back after a three-game absence caused by a lower-body injury. A decision on his status as well as that of captain Aleksander Barkov and forward Eric Staal will be made Friday.
Florida has allowed at least three goals in each of the past four games and in five of the past six.
--Field Level Media
Updated February 24, 2023
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