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Florida Panthers top Buffalo Sabres for 10th straight win

By Mark Ludwiczak, The Sports Xchange
Florida Panthers' Jonathan Huberdeau. UPI/Bill Greenblatt
Florida Panthers' Jonathan Huberdeau. UPI/Bill Greenblatt | License Photo

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Florida Panthers keep on winning, and they're doing it with style.

The Panthers extended their franchise-best winning streak to 10 games on Tuesday night with a 5-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Five Florida players scored in the victory.

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"We're trying not to think too much about the streak," said left winger Jonathan Huberdeau, one of Florida's five goal scorers. "It's 10, but (the goal) is to win every game. Ten, might as well just keep going and win every game."

Right winger Jaromir Jagr, center Derek Mackenzie, center Corban Knight and center Brandon Pirri also scored for Florida (24-12-4).

The win was the perfect way to kick off a difficult six-game road trip for the Panthers that will take them to the West Coast and back before returning home. The winning streak began in mid-December with three consecutive road wins and continued through a five-game homestand that ended on Sunday.

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"Obviously it's a tough road trip for us coming up," Mackenzie said. "It's nice to get off on the right foot. ... Coming off momentum at home you never know how we're going to come out on the road, but once again I thought these guys right from the drop of the puck played pretty well."

Goalie Roberto Luongo made 31 saves for Florida.

Center Ryan O'Reilly scored for the Sabres (15-21-4). Goalie Linus Ullmark made 22 saves.

"I don't think we were focused on the start," O'Reilly said. "I start with myself. Right from the get-go we have to establish our game right away. What are we doing? I'm embarrassed right now. This is not what we want. This is not how we want to play."

The Sabres have a streak of their own in the opposite direction and have lost five games in a row.

"A lot of it is mental and being prepared and ready to play the appropriate way," Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma said. "That's my job as a coach ... and I don't think we were tonight."

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The game was lively and featured plenty of offensive chances for both teams before Florida's offense took over.

Jagr opened the scoring 9:43 into the game on his 14th goal of the season. After Huberdeau skated past Sabres center Sam Reinhart at the blue line, Huberdeau found Jagr to his right, and the veteran winger scored on a one-timer to the glove side.

The goal was the 736th for Jagr, leaving him five away from tying Brett Hull for third all time.

"It was beautiful," Panthers coach Gerard Gallant said. "(Huberdeau) made a great power move going through the middle and then he made that pass to Jags and it was just a great goal. He played a great game."

O'Reilly evened the score 2:44 into the second period on the power play thanks to a pretty setup by Jack Eichel. The rookie center fed a wide-open O'Reilly with a no-look, backhand pass, and O'Reilly finished a one-timer for his 16th goal of the year.

Eichel extended his point streak to four games (two goals, four assists), and he has 12 points in his last eight games.

Mackenzie gave Florida a 2-1 lead at 8:54 of the second period. Mackenzie finished a two-on-one rush by burying a hard wrist shot into the top right corner of the net. It was his fourth goal of the season.

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"I don't know if I have a backhand (saucer pass) in my bag of tricks so I was just getting it on net," Mackenzie said.

Knight made it 3-1 at 5:35 of the third. After some strong work by center Quinton Howden down low, Howden found Knight all alone in the slot, and Knight quickly finished his second goal of the season.

Huberdeau made it 4-1 with 3:54 remaining by converting on a breakaway. Huberdeau beat Ullmark with a deke to his forehand.

Pirri added an empty-net goal with 1:21 remaining.

NOTES: The Sabres scratched D Mike Weber. ... The Panthers scratched LW Shawn Thornton and C Dave Bolland. ... Sabres LW Nicolas Deslauriers will miss three to five weeks with a lower-body injury. He suffered the injury in Buffalo's 4-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday. ... With Deslauriers injured, the Sabres recalled forward Tim Schaller from the AHL's Rochester Americans. Schaller had two assists in six games during his first recall with the team earlier this season and has 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 18 games for Rochester this season. ... This was the third of four meetings between the Sabres and Panthers this season. Their final meeting takes place Feb. 9 in Buffalo.

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