"It's part of being a pro, back-to-backs all the time," said Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad, who has notched three goals over his last two games. "We've got to find a way to be a little better tomorrow. Ten percent [more] from each guy and we're going to be fine."
After charging out to an early 2-0 lead against the Hurricanes, the Panthers surrendered three unanswered goals to earn just their sixth regulation loss of the season. Still, the team has won seven of its last 11 games overall and currently occupies second place in the Atlantic Division.
Despite a bump in the road, Ekblad believes the team can build off its strong start in Carolina.
"A big emphasis on our game was to start on time, start quick. I thought we did that," Ekblad said. "That's one of the big positives of this game that we can take out. We had a good start, got two quick goals. We've just got to keep moving forward here and now dwell on it."
Not dwelling has been a big part of Florida's success all season long. Yet to lose consecutive games in regulation, the team has never gone more than one game without earning a point.
Jonathan Huberdeau leads the team in scoring with 30 points and is tied with Evgenii Dadonov and Brett Connolly for the most goals with 10. Right behind him is linemate Aleksander Barkov, who has notched 29 points and currently possesses the fifth-most assists in the league with 22.
Overall, the Panthers currently own the league's second-ranked offense (3.61 goals per game).
While the team has yet to announce a goaltender, backup Sam Montembeault has closed out each back-to-back so far this season. In six appearances, the 23-year-old owns a 3-1-1 record -- including three shootout wins -- with a 2.96 goals-against average and .903 save percentage.
At the other end of the ice, the Sabres (10-9-3) have dropped nine of their last 10 contests, including a 3-2 loss in Boston on Thursday that stretched their losing streak to three games.
"It's a team that's really desperate for a win, and we're sitting in our building there," Panthers coach Joel Quenneville said of hosting Buffalo. "Let's be excited about it… Get yourself angry in the right way tomorrow."
One of the biggest issues for the Sabres has been on offense, where the team has scored two or fewer goals in nine of its last 12 games. Still, despite that scoring drought, star forward Jack Eichel has managed to produce steadily, leading the team in both goals (13) and points (26).
In his career against the Panthers, however, Eichel has just one goal in 14 games.
"No one's feeling sorry for us," Eichel told reporters after a 4-1 loss to Minnesota on Tuesday. "We can't feel sorry for ourselves. It's frustrating the position we're in. But it's just going to test our character right now, and our will to compete on a nightly basis, and just our will to win."
The Sabres have also yet to announce a starter for tonight's contest, so either Linus Ullmark or Carter Hutton will be in net. Ullmark was between the pipes the first time the two teams played this season, stopping 41 of 43 shots in a 3-2 shootout win against Florida in Buffalo on Oct. 11.
The Panthers have won eight of their last 10 games against the Sabres, including six straight at home.
