Vilmanis Gets First Point of Season as Florida Panthers Lose to Buffalo Sabres

In a National Hockey League (NHL) regular-season game in North America, the Florida Panthers lost 5-3 on the road to the Buffalo Sabres. Latvian player Sandis Vilmanis, who plays for Florida, recorded an assist and his first point of the season. Fellow Latvian Uvis Balinskis was not in the lineup this time.

Vilmanis's assist

In the 11th minute, Vilmanis's line-mate Anton Lundell pounced on a rebound and made it 1-1. Vilmanis and Aaron Ekblad were credited with the assists. Vilmanis played 12 minutes, gave the puck away twice, blocked one shot and finished with a plus-minus of +1. In the fifth minute he had a chance to shoot from a dangerous position, but could not beat the goaltender.

How the game unfolded

Buffalo scored first: Josh Doan opened the scoring on a counterattack. After Lundell's equalizer, Rasmus Dahlin restored Buffalo's lead at 2-1 on the power play near the end of the first period.

In the second period, Florida goaltender Jakub Markstrom left the game, apparently injured, and was replaced by Akira Schmid. Sam Bennett made it 2-2, but Ryan McLeod put the Sabres ahead 3-2. Sam Reinhart levelled it at 3-3 on the power play. Dahlin was later injured and did not return.

In the third period Buffalo went ahead for the fourth time: Noah Ostlund scored on the power play after a pass from Zach Benson, and Tage Thompson added a fifth goal. Florida had no reply.

Statistics

The Sabres outshot Florida 32-23. The winners took eight penalty minutes, the losers ten. It was Florida's fourth loss of the season, with two wins in six games. Buffalo celebrated its third win in six games.