5 TAKEAWAYS: Panthers 4, Sabres 1

The Florida Panthers continue to climb.
Back over .500 after winning five of their last seven games, the Panthers opened up their crucial three-game road trip with a 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Monday.
Sitting at 21-20-4, Florida is now just four points out of a playoff spot.
"The belief is in this room," Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk said.
For a quick recap of the game, click
HERE
.
To read up on five key takeaways for the Cats, continue below.

1. MONTOUR STRIKES

Brandon Montour can taste a new career-high point total.
With his first-period goal against the Sabres, the 28-year-old defenseman notched his 36th point of the season, which is just one fewer than the career-high 37 he tallied in 81 games in 2021-22.

"Opportunity, the belief from my coaches and my teammates, and just enjoying the game," Montour said of his breakout. "I'm having fun. I have confidence in my ability to make plays in the offensive zone, but obviously take care of my own end first. Things are going good so far."
Leading Florida's defensemen in goals (8), assists (28) and points (36), Montour has cracked the scoresheet in five of his last six games. At the time of this writing, those 36 points are also the eighth-most among NHL defensemen, while his 28 assists are tied for the seventh-most.
Since being acquired from the Sabres in a trade back in 2021, Montour ranks first among all Panthers defensemen in points (77) and is second to only Aaron Ekblad in goals with 21.

2. BENNETT'S BOUNCE

Sam Bennett was due for a well-deserved bounce.
Playing some great hockey during this current run of success for the Panthers, the hard-nosed forward extended the lead to 2-0 at 8:04 of the second period when the puck deflected off of Tkachuk in front and ended up directly on his stick in the right circle for a goal.

Tied for sixth on the Panthers in scoring with 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists), Bennett has lit the lamp in two of his last four games. Benefitting from an uptick in shot volume, he's fired off 18 shots on goal during that four-game stretch, including three against Buffalo.
Over his last four games, Bennett has also won a team-high 56.9% of his faceoffs.

3. TKACHUK'S HELPERS

Tkachuk was very generous in Buffalo.
Dishing out the primary assist on goals for Montour, Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe, the 2023 NHL All-Star earned his 18th multi-point game and seventh three-point game of the season.

His 44th multi-point game since the start of the 2021-22 season, only Connor McDavid (68), Leon Draisaitl (50), Auston Matthews (49) and Kirill Kaprizov (46) have more in that span.
"Guys were just putting them in the net tonight," Tkachuk said.
Leading the Panthers in goals (22), assists (34) and points (56), Tkachuk is currently riding a season-long, seven-game point streak in which he's produced five goals and eight assists.
A driving force up front, Florida is 14-1-3 when Tkachuk has multiple points.

4. LUNDELL LIGHTS THE LAMP

Tkachuk pointed to Anton Lundell's third-period goal as an important moment in the win.
Flying up the ice on a 2-on-1 rush, the 21-year-old teed up a pass from Sam Reinhart and blasted a one-timer into the back of the cage to extend the lead to 3-0 just 34 seconds into the period.
With that, the Panthers could exhale just a little bit.

"I thought that goal by Lundy at the beginning of the third was a huge moment for us," Tkachuk said. "It allowed us to continue to play our game for the rest of the third."
Gaining some swagger as the second half heats up, Lundell has looked comfortable since shifting from center to wing in order to play with Aleksander Barkov and Reinhart on the top line. In Buffalo, that line controlled 55.56% of shot attempts at 5-on-5, per NaturalStatTrick.com.
"We read each other very good," Lundell said. "We know when to move the puck and see when somebody's open. Overall, it's been really fun to play."
In 36 games this season, Lundell has amassed 16 points (five goals, 11 assists).

5. THE PUCK STOPPER

Sergei Bobrovsky was in the zone once again.
Finishing with 28 saves, the two-time Vezina Trophy winner was calm, cool and collected between the pipes all afternoon. Also getting some help from the defense, the Panthers were stout over their three penalty kills, allowing just two pucks to make their way to the net.
One of Bobrovsky's biggest stops came near the midway point of the first period when he stacked the pads to deny Rasmus Asplund on a rebound attempt to keep the Panthers on top 1-0.
"I thought the guys played great," Bobrovsky said. "They helped me out there. The PK was unbelievable. Lots of blocked shots and the sticks were great. I also made some timely saves. Things are coming together for us. We're excited. It's a big win, a big two points for us."
Settling into a nice rhythm while starting 15 of the last 19 games, Bobrovsky, who made seven high-danger saves against the Sabres, has been particularly strong in recent outings. Over his last five appearances, he's posted a 4-1-0 record on top of a very solid .919 save percentage.
"It's his first run of the year where he's getting a bunch of games," Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said. "He's into a good rhythm. We need that kind of goaltending. He's battling in the net. He's a little bit acrobatic and intense. The guys like that. It looks good from the bench. He's making big saves and everyone's rallying around him."