Thompson scores go-ahead goal, and Sabres end season-opening 3-game skid with 5-2 win over Panthers

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BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Jordan Greenway and Tage Thompson scored 41 seconds apart in the first period, and the Buffalo Sabres ended a season-opening three-game skid with a 5-2 win over the Florida Panthers on Saturday night.

Henri Jokiharju, Mattias Samuelsson and Alex Tuch, with an empty-netter, also scored for the Sabres, who combined for three goals in their first three outings. Lindy Ruff won his first game in his second stint as Sabres coach, 4,257 days after his last victory with Buffalo — a 4-2 decision over Boston on Feb. 15, 2013.

Sam Bennett and Nate Schmidt scored for the Panthers, who have lost two straight since a season-opening win over Boston.

Panthers goalie Spencer Knight stopped 22 shots in his first start since a 6-2 loss to St. Louis on Feb. 14, 2023. He then entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program to help manage an obsessive-compulsive disorder, and spent last season in the minors.

Panthers: The defending Stanley Cup champs lacked punch playing without captain Aleksander Barkov (lower body) and Matthew Tkachuk (illness). Knight has to be sharper, especially on Thompson's go-ahead goal that beat him through the legs from 25 feet.

Sabres: Buffalo avoids the franchise’s first 0-4 start and improves to 2-9-1 against Florida in its past 12. Power play finishes 0 for 3, dropping to 0 for 14 this season.

Sabres goalie Devon Levi turned aside Sam Reinhart’s shot off a 4-on-2 break 32 seconds into the second period. Jokiharju put Buffalo up 3-1 66 seconds later.

738-682 — Number of career losses for Panthers coach Paul Maurice, most on the NHL list, versus Ruff, who ranks second. Maurice ranks fourth with 870 wins, and Ruff fifth with 865.

The Panthers play the third of a four-game road trip at Columbus on Monday night. The Sabres open a three-game swing at Pittsburgh on Wednesday night.

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