The Panthers struck first, but the Sabres pulled back control of the game thanks to a sterling performance from Krebs.

The more rested Lightning had the bulk of the chances early, and they turned a Sabres giveaway into a Nikita Kucherov goal. Ellis was Buffalo’s best player as he made 12 saves in the first period, including five on high-danger chances, per Natural Stat Trick. The rookie goalie finished with 31 saves.

The New York Islanders spent the last two weeks far away from home confirming their status as a fading playoff contender.

Panthers face must-win scenario against Wild Card-holding Sabres after recent skid, with key forwards once again sidelined.

The game remained tied into the third. Twice in the final frame, the Sabres grabbed a lead. Moments after the Lightning had a near miss at the side of the Buffalo net, the Sabres countered off the rush. Samuelsson snapped a shot from the slot past Vasilevskiy at 4:08.

That’s what made Alex Tuch’s statement after the Sabres beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-1 so striking. Asked about the Sabres being able to come into games expecting to win amid a 20-3-1 stretch, Tuch didn’t shy away.

Florida has been alternating their goalies. If they continue it will be Danill Tarasov. He’s 8-7-2 with a 2.67 goals against and .904 save percentage. Matthew Tkachuk is finally back and has played eight games and has points in just one game.

Just days after being named head coach, Joe Brady took in the Sabres' NHL game against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. While a loss, Brady was welcomed by fans on the big screen during the game. He also did an intermission interview alongside general manager Brandon Beane.