Tkachuk has goal, assist to help Panthers defeat Sabres

BUFFALO -- Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and an assist to help the Florida Panthers to a 4-3 win against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Saturday.

Tkachuk, acquired by the Panthers in a trade with the Calgary Flames on July 22, has two goals and an assist in his first two games with Florida.
"I said it at the beginning of the year, points, individual stuff like [that], I'm past the point of caring about that stuff," Tkachuk said. "I don't care what the individual stuff at all. I'm here to win games and I'm having a great time doing, it. … It's an unbelievably tight group and I'm very lucky to be a part of it."
Aleksander Barkov had two assists, and Spencer Knight made 24 saves for the Panthers (2-0-0).
"I thought we got stronger in the defensive parts of game as this game went on," Florida coach Paul Maurice said. "… [The Sabres] played hard, they've got lots of skill. It's a good young team, right? So, they're never out of it. … Got a real big save from Spencer when we needed it. So, everybody had a little piece. But I think penalty kill and power play were the defining pieces to our game today."

Alex Tuch and Rasmus Dahlin each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres (1-1-0), who went 0-for-4 on the power play. Eric Comrie made 33 saves in his Buffalo debut.
Comrie signed a two-year contract with the Sabres on July 13.
"It was fun to get into it," Comrie said. "I thought the guys played a heck of a game. I mean, some bad bounces, but that's the way it goes. I thought the guys in front of me played awesome. I just enjoy playing behind them, enjoy playing on this team because these guys battle so hard. It's just a pleasure to be with the guys."
Tuch gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead at 10:35 of the first period. He took a long pass from Henri Jokiharju and got behind Florida defenseman Marc Staal, who fell, before he cut to the front of the net and slipped the puck five-hole on Knight.
"It was great," Tuch said of the pass. "I was screaming and as soon as I screamed, I saw his head pop right up, so I knew just to take off. He feathered it up there nicely to me, put me right in stride so I didn't have to break stride and saw the defenseman go down, got my breakaway opportunity. So, [it] felt good."

Colin White tied it 1-1 at 14:03 on a one-timer from the high slot, and Tkachuk made it 2-1 at 18:09. A clearing attempt went to Gustav Forsling at the point and the ensuing shot landed in the crease, where Tkachuk poked it in.
But Zemgus Girgensons tied it 2-2 at 18:51, finishing off a drop pass from JJ Peterka from high in the left face-off circle.
Aaron Ekblad gave the Panthers a 3-2 lead at 2:31 of the second period on the man-advantage with a wrist shot from the left circle, and Brandon Montour extended it to 4-2 with another power-play goal at 17:45 when he shot over a sprawled Comrie.
"The power play had an awful lot of chances in (0-for-5 in 3-1 win at the New York Islanders on Thursday) and didn't score," Maurice said. "And I thought they got faster here tonight, which is a really good sign, right? They didn't slow the game down."

Dahlin cut it to 4-3 at 19:01 of the second when he took a pass from Tuch and scored with a wrist shot from the left circle.
"I think at times we let the game get away from us a little bit, took too many penalties against one of the best power plays in the League, if not the best," Tuch said. "But I thought we had a good pushback, I really thought we did. I thought we had a lot of effort from a lot of different guys. Like I said, just got away from us a little bit, but you know what? It's a good learning experience, especially for the young guys, [to] play a team that good 4-3, I think it was a good step.
"I think last year we probably would have sat back a little bit. It's different. It definitely felt different."
NOTES: Tkachuk is the sixth player in Panthers history to score in each of his first two games with them; forward Patric Hornqvist did it in 2020-21. … Dahlin is the third defenseman in Sabres history to score in each of their first two games, joining Jaroslav Spacek (2007-08) and Jim Schoenfeld (1979-80). … Comrie had an assist on Tuch's goal, becoming the first goalie to get an assist in his Sabres debut.