Vanecek Shuts Out Sabres, Florida Panthers Win 6th Straight

SUNRISE — The Florida Panthers continued to stay red-hot Saturday night, winning their sixth straight game with a 4-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres.

Buffalo lost its sixth straight.

Vitek Vanecek was the Man of the Hour for the Panthers, getting a shutout in his debut with the team after coming over from the San Jose Sharks earlier in the week.

Vanecek had a personal seven-game losing streak going with the Sharks, not having won since Nov. 29.

He is the third Florida goalie to record a shutout in his debut with the team. Chris Driedger, whom Vanecek replaced as Sergei Bobrovsky’s backup, did it on Nov. 30, 2019. Jose Theodore did it on Oct. 8, 2011.

Nate Schmidt had a pair of assists in the win after two of his shots from close range slipped through the skates of goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Both times, the puck got behind the Buffalo goalie allowing Florida forwards to sneak in and get the easy goal.

A.J. Greer made it 1-0 that way in the first; Anton Lundell made it 3-0 in the second.

Carter Verhaeghe also scored for Florida.

The Panthers are also the first team to allow just one goal in a four-game span since the Tampa Bay Lightning did it during the Covid 2021 season when it allowed a goal in four wins against Carolina and Dallas.

Bobrovsky had shutouts in two of his past three starts.

NOTES: SABRES AT PANTHERS

• Aaron Ekblad tied a franchise record with a six-game assist streak matching Brandon Montour (2022-23), MacKenzie Weegar (2020-21), Jay Bouwmeester (2005-06) and Robert Svehla (1995-96).
• The Panthers lead the NHL this season with 28 wins in games when scoring first.
• Sasha Barkov became the third player in Panthers history to record four consecutive 60-point seasons. The others: Jonathan Huberdeau (five) and Sam Reinhart (four).

HOW THEY SCORED

• Panthers 1, Sabres 0 (7:20 1st): Nate Schmidt closes in on the net and takes a shot that Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen initially stops, but A.J. Greer finds the puck as it slides behind the goalie and sweeps it in.
• Panthers 2, Sabres 0 (9:32 2nd): Carter Verhaeghe rips one from inside the blue and into heavy traffic in front. UPL never sees it as it flies into the left corner of the net.
• Panthers 3, Sabres 0 (17:09 2nd): Schmidt does it again, driving the net and putting a shot that slides between the goalie’s skates; this time, it is Anton Lundell there to sweep it through.
• Panthers 4, Sabres 0 (19:26 3rd EN): Sam Bennett ices it.

FHN’S 3 STARS OF THE GAME

• 1. Vitek Vanecek, Florida
• 2. Nate Schmidt, Florida
• 3. Carter Verhaeghe, Florida

ON DECK: GAME No. 65

FLORIDA PANTHERS at BOSTON BRUINS

• When: Tuesday, 7 p.m.
• Where: Boston Garden
• Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FTL); WPTV 5/WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (SWFla)
• Streaming: Panthers+, ESPN+
• Radio: WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Betting Odds — Panthers Favored: Money Line (-180); Puck line (-1.5, +130); Over/Under 5.5 (-115/-105)
• This Season (Panthers Lead 2-1) — At Florida: Panthers 6, Bruins 4 (Oct. 8); Bruins 4, Panthers 3 (OT) Jan. 11. At Boston: Panthers 4, Bruins 3 (Oct. 14); Tuesday.
• Last Regular Season: Bruins Won 4-0
• Last Postseason: Panthers Won ECS 4-2
• All-time Regular Season Series: Boston leads 65-39-7, 6 ties
• All-time Postseason Series: Florida leads 3-0 (1996 1st, 2023 1st, 2024 2nd)
• Up Next for the Panthers: Thursday at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m.