5 Takeaways: Panthers Explode in 3rd to Blow Past Buffalo

BUFFALO --The Florida Panthers scored four goals in the third period to come from behind and defeat the Buffalo Sabres 5-2 on Tuesday night at KeyBank Center - the first stop on a crucial four-game road trip before the Christmas break.

Trailing 2-1 after 40 minutes of action, Aleksander Barkov, Evgenii Dadonov and Frank Vatrano each scored before the 4:42 mark of the third period to give the Panthers a 4-2 lead, shocking the Sabres and gaining full control of what had been a back-and-forth game up until that point.
With 2:30 left in regulation, Dadonov put the game away with an empty netter that made it 5-2.
"We've been in that situation so many times this year -- one-goal games, trailing and coming back, letting a game fall again," Panthers coach Bob Boughner said. "It was important that… I think we're learning from our mistakes, to be honest with you. If I had to say one thing, I think we're getting more mature in those situations."
After defeating Toronto on Saturday at BB&T Center, the Panthers have now dismissed two of the top teams in the Atlantic Division in back-to-back games to climb back to .500 at 13-13-6. With 50 games left in their season, this two-game winning streak could be the start of a run.
The Sabres entered the night with an 11-3-2 record at home this season.
"We've been talking all year about being composed and protecting leads, and I think that's probably the best we've done all year," Boughner said. "It was good puck decision and puck management. I thought that we played hard D, and we never stopped going at 'em, which was important. They do come out hard in this building. We knew that. I think they've only lost three games here all year. They're a good hockey team over there. This was a big road win for us."
Here are five takeaways from Tuesday's win in Buffalo…

1. THE GLOVE

Roberto Luongo made 30 saves, but there was one that was much bigger than the rest.
With the Sabres up 1-0 and heading to the power play after a delay of game penalty at 3:38 of the second period, the 39-year-old turned back the clock to make one of his biggest stops of the season, showing off the incredible awareness that will one day land him in the Hall of Fame.
After making the initial save on a booming slapshot from Rasmus Ristolainen, the puck began to slowly crawl towards the goal line. Sensing the impending danger, Luongo spun around to swat the puck out of harm's way with his glove, losing his paddle but potentially saving the game.
"He made some great saves," Boughner said. "That's what I always say about the great goalies. They make the timely saves at the right time to give you a chance, and that's what Lu does."

Thanks to big saves like that, the Panthers finished the night 3-for-3 on the penalty kill. Since Nov. 24, they have successfully killed off 29 of 32 (90.6 percent) opposing power plays, which currently stands as the second-best success rate in the league during that span.
With the win, Luongo improved to 20-8-0 all-time against the Sabres.
"He's great every night for us," Vatrano said of Luongo. "He gives us a chance to win every single night. When you have a goalie kicking like that, you know if you make a mistake he's going to bail you out. It's great to have a goalie like that back there. He's been solid for us all year."

2. BROUWER'S BANK SHOT

It was a fortunate bounce that helped get the ball rolling for the Panthers.
Entering the zone on a 3-on-1 rush, Troy Brouwer sent the puck to Jared McCann, who fired a wrist shot that bounced off the end boards and right back to Brouwer on the right side of the net. From there, he banked the puck off Carter Hutton and in to make it 1-1 at 9:17 of the second period.
"Trying to be a defensively responsible player, sometimes you stay under the puck and you don't necessarily get those 2-on-1s," Brouwer said of the goal. "It was a nice little bounce off the back boards. I think it bounced off the goalie's foot and in, so I'll take it."

After having the last two years of his contract bought out by Calgary in the summer, Brouwer inked a one-year deal with the Panthers with a chip on his shoulder. And although we're only a third of the way through the season, it's clear that he's still got plenty left in the tank at age 33.
Now with seven goals, he's already surpassed the six he scored last season with 50 games left to play. In addition to his scoring, the veteran forward has also been seeing increased minutes on the penalty kill in recent weeks, skating 1:45 shorthanded a night over the last 11 games.
Against the Sabres, Brouwer also finished with a game-high four hits.

3. CAPTAIN CLUTCH

When you need a big goal, you look to the captain.
A game after notching his first NHL hat trick, Barkov picked up right where he left off against the Sabres, re-directing a long shot from defenseman Keith Yandle on the power play to make it a 2-2 game just 58 seconds into the third period. With 15 goals, he is now tied for the team lead.
With the primary assist, Yandle now leads the NHL with 21 points on the man advantage.
"Let's go and let's put some pucks to the net," Boughner said when asked about his message to the team as they prepared to start the period on the power play. "Yands did a good job because they were starting to take away our flanks… Yands just got it through to the net. That was the key there, just to simplify it a little bit."

Already one of the league's top defensive forwards, Barkov is also producing at better than a point-per-game pace on offense, registering 15 goals and 18 assists in 32 games this season. With two more penalties drawn on Tuesday, he also increased his total to a league-leading 25 without taking a single penalty of his own - a remarkable feat for a player of his compete level.
After going 1-for-3, Florida has now converted on the power play in 20 of its last 23 games.

4. A SLOW BURN

This was one was saved… until it wasn't.
With the game tied 2-2 after Barkov's goal, Dadonov was awarded a penalty shot after being dragged down on a breakaway. On his ensuing attempt, Hutton appeared to make the save before the puck trickled in after a delay that felt like an eternity to put Florida ahead 3-2 at 3:30.
"It was just the good luck," said Dadonov, who finished the game with two goals and an assist. "I tried to hit between his arm and body, but he almost got it and dropped it. It happens…I watched the puck. I saw it come behind him, and he just kind of tried to slide and it went in the net."

After a few close calls, Boughner said the Panthers likely deserved the lucky break.
"It was a nice bounce for us," he said. "I think we needed that, to be honest with you. Daddy's been snake-bitten on breakaways. I don't know where it went exactly. I haven't seen the replay, but I was pretty happy to see when it rolled past him. I think [Dadonov] deserved it."
With a game-high three points on Tuesday night, Dadonov now ranks first on the Panthers in goals (16) and tied with Barkov for second in points (33). The 29-year-old is now 2-for-2 in penalty shots for his career, with the goal also serving as his second game-winner this year.

5. FRANK THE TANK

After Dadonov sent the Panthers ahead, Vatrano put the game out of reach.
Pouncing on a rebound to the right of Buffalo's net, Vatrano knocked the puck past Hutton with a strong backhand shot to extend Florida's lead to 4-2 at 4:42 of the third period. With the goal, the 24-year-old is already up to nine on the season, which is just one off of his career high.

Overall, the second line of Vatrano, Dadonov and Henrik Borgstrom finished with five points.
"I think we were just playing a simple game," Vatrano said of the line. "The first couple shifts we tried to make some plays that didn't go our way, so we got pucks deep and made the little plays. I think that's why we were good tonight. We were heavy on pucks and made the plays when they were there."