Panthers Upend Buffalo 4-3

Buffalo, NY (WGR 550)  -- Welcome once again into the Ted Darling Memorial Press Box, high atop ice level at First Niagara Center. On this Super Bowl Sunday, the Buffalo Sabres entertain the Florida Panthers in the afternoon affair. If you ask me, it is nice to roll from this game, almost right into kickoff of Super Bowl XLVII. With pregame coverage seemingly beginning a week ago, this is a nice breather before the big game.

20:00 - The scratches are in, and Matt Ellis is the odd-man out among forwards. He is a healthy scratch today, while Nathan Gerbe is back after sitting out yesterday.

19:39 - Jordan Leopold starts out paired with Mike Weber to start the game. Alexander Sulzer and Christian Ehrhoff are the second pair, while Tyler Myers and T.J. Brennan are the last set of rear guards.

17:33 - First big save of the game for Ryan Miller. Tyson Strachan was able to get around Myers and get a shot in close. Miller used his glove hand to snare the shot and draw a whistle.
 

17:14 - SABRES GOAL. ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THAT PASS?! Jason Pominville slides a pass between his legs, tailing away from the play over to Thomas Vanek, who does not miss. That is the goal that should help the team's confiendence against a struggling Florida team. 1-0 BUF.

14:29 - The blue and gold are really buzzing around the ice right now, keeping a strong possession of the puck following the opening score. That goal by Vanek should loosen everyone else up, and maybe help some of the other lines relax and contribute as well. Shots on goal are 5-3, Florida right now.

12:16 - Miller uses his head, literally, to make a save on Tomas Fleischmann and keep the score 1-0 Sabres. We could hear the puck go off the right side of his mask, and the netminder shook it off quickly.

11:24 - PANTHERS GOAL. Right off of a faceoff Florida ties the game up and beats Ryan Miller with a shot that I am not sure if he saw. Shawn Matthias gets the score. 1-1 tie.

6:19 - SABRES GOAL. The top line strikes again. Thomas Vanek feathers a very nice backhand pass to Gameday: 2-1 Sabres In 1st who beats the defender to the spot and slides the puck into a wide open net. It seems like everytime the puck touches Thomas' stick good things are happening. 2-1 BUF.

1:48 - Besides the scoring plays recently, there has not been much action to speak of, and the arena bowl has been quiet.  

End of Period

BUF - 2, FLA - 1

Goal Summary

BUF: 2:46 - Thomas Vanek (8), (Jason Pominville, Cody Hodgson). 13:41 - Cody Hodgson (5), (Thomas Vanek)
FLA: 8:36 - Shawn Matthias (1), (Jerred Smithson).

Shots On Goal
 

BUF - 10, FLA - 11

Second Period

17:17 - I have liked Myers play thus far tonight. He has not tried to do too much, and right now that is the best way for him to build back the confidence that was lost as his game has fallen off.

16:35 - A fight in the NHL's heavyweight division just inside of the Florida zone as John Scott and George Parros teed off on one another. Parros landed the last shots, but each man had a couple of good punches in before the linesmen stepped in.

16:11 - SABRES GOAL.  Alexander Sulzer beats Theodore on a shot that, quite honesty, the netminder needs to stop. The puck goes under his left wing and into the net. Let's see who gets the next one. Could be a blow out if the blue and gold score again. 3-1 BUF. 

13:20 - The first minor penalty of the day does to Dimitry Kulikov, as he put his stick in Pominville's skates and tripped the forward. This could be a big power play for Buffalo if they score here.

11:14 - Power play over, and despite some good zone time for Buffalo they do not score. Scott and Parros go back to their respective benches on the whistle also, to the cheers of their teammates.

9:39 - PANTHERS GOAL. George Parros takes a pass in the slot and slides the puck through the five hole of Ryan Miller to bring Florida back within a goal. That was a bad goal to give up, and results after Buffalo had plenty of chances the other way. 3-2 BUF.

4:22 - Shots on goal this stanza are even at 6-6. The puck has gone from end to end quite a bit, but without much success reaching the goal. 

:53.5 - PANTHERS GOAL. Peter Mueller gets the equalizer after the Buffalo defense gets lazy. Tyler Myers lets his man dump the puck down low and does not take him out of the play, while Christian Ehrhoff lets Mueller go to the front and play the puck off of the boards for the score.  3-3 tie.

End of Period

BUF - 3, FLA - 3

Goal Summary

BUF: 3:49 - Alexander Sulzer (2), (Thomas Vanek, Cody Hodgson)
FLA: 10:21 - George Parros (1), (Stephen Weiss). 19:06 - Peter Mueller (4), (Drew Shore).

Shots On Goal

BUF - 6 (16), FLA - 9 (20)

Third Period

17:02 - Three minutes into the third period, have yet to see which team is going to take over the game and get the win. It could be that we are headed for overtime or a shootout and that is how this one gets decided.

14:23 - More than a quarter of the period is gone and Buffalo has yet to register a shot on goal. They may have had some of the better play early in this frame, but you need shots on goal to win.

12:30 - Now up to seven and a half minutes withoyut a shot on goal this period for Buffalo.

10:33 - PANTHERS GOAL. Brian Campbell comes down from his point position on the power play and is able to take a loose puck and slap it into the back of the net. It is the first lead of the night for Florida, while Christian Ehrhoff was wrongly in the box for tripping. It should have been Tyler Myers. 4-3 FLA.

8:02 - Ehrhoff gets the first shot on goal for the home team this period. Everyone rejoice, at least they got a shot. It is rather remarkable that this team has found a way to play uninspired hockey.

5:12 - Final media timeout of the game, and I cannot help but wondering if today's third period effort is more embarassing than how flat the team came out in Montreal yesterday. I am having a hard time saying yesterday was worse than this. 

3:00 - In case you are wondering, shots on goal are 12-4 in favor of Florida.

1:05 - How is it that the Sabres are playing with more effort on the penalty kill than they did for almost the entire third period?

End of Game

Florida 4, Buffalo 3

Goal Summary

BUF: none
FLA: 9:27 - Brian Campbell (4) PPG. (Tomas Kopecky, Jonathan Huberdeau

Shots On Goal

BUF - 4 (20), FLA - 12 (33)

Final Thoughts
 

Man, this Sabres team is reeling right now and they need something to start going their way. They need to find a way to play inspired hockey. That third period was one of the worst I have seen this year. I know it is a young season, but that was as bad as they have come. How can you come out with just four shots on goal, taking more than half of the period to get your first?! Inexcusable.