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Buffalo Sabres vs Florida Panthers

Regular season · Wednesday, December 30, 2026 · Amerant Bank Arena

Buffalo SabresBuffaloSabresAway

vs

Florida PanthersFloridaPanthersHome

MSG-B · SCRIPPS

Game preview

The Buffalo Sabres visit the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena on Wednesday, December 30, 2026, with puck drop at 7:00 PM ET. The game is on MSG-B and SCRIPPS.

This is the third of 4 meetings this season. Sabres 1, Panthers 0 so far; the last game finished FLA 3, BUF 5.

Rest and travel

Sabres

First game of a road trip.

  1. 202026-12-20: vs LAK
  2. 212026-12-21: no game
  3. 222026-12-22: at PIT
  4. 232026-12-23: no game
  5. 242026-12-24: no game
  6. 252026-12-25: no game
  7. 262026-12-26: vs NJD
  8. 272026-12-27: no game
  9. 282026-12-28: vs DET
  10. 292026-12-29: no game
  11. 302026-12-30: at FLA
rest since last game
1 day
rest since last game
since last game
~1,158 mi
since last game
on this road trip
~1,158 mi
on this road trip
body clock vs home
Home time
body clock vs home

Panthers

Another game at home.

  1. 202026-12-20: no game
  2. 212026-12-21: vs STL
  3. 222026-12-22: no game
  4. 232026-12-23: no game
  5. 242026-12-24: no game
  6. 252026-12-25: no game
  7. 262026-12-26: vs TBL
  8. 272026-12-27: no game
  9. 282026-12-28: vs NSH
  10. 292026-12-29: no game
  11. 302026-12-30: vs BUF
rest since last game
1 day
rest since last game
since last game
~0 mi
since last game
road trip
–
road trip
body clock vs home
Home time
body clock vs home
Home game Road game This gameB2B = second night of a back-to-back. Distances are approximate.

Lines from last game

Buffalo SabresSabresTue, Oct 13 at MTL
  1. L1Benson#6Ostlund#86Quinn#22
    10:23 together at 5v5
  2. L2McLeod#71Kulich#20Helenius#94
    7:12 together at 5v5
  3. L3Thompson#72Krebs#19Doan#91
    6:57 together at 5v5
  4. L4NewMalenstyn#29Norris#9Danforth#15
    6:26 together at 5v5
  1. D1NewSamuelsson#23Zellweger#8
    14:05 together at 5v5
  2. D2Power#25Metsa#73
    11:55 together at 5v5
  3. D3NewGilbert#44Crevier#46
    6:02 together at 5v5

Power play

  1. 1Benson LThompson COstlund CQuinn RPower D3:35

Penalty kill

  1. 1Malenstyn LDanforth RSamuelsson DCrevier D0:55
  2. 2Malenstyn LSamuelsson DPower D0:49
Florida PanthersPanthersTue, Oct 13 at CBJ
  1. L1Vilmanis#95Luostarinen#27Lundell#15
    9:55 together at 5v5
  2. L2NewEller#20Verhaeghe#23Reinhart#13
    9:43 together at 5v5
  3. L3Tkachuk#19Tkachuk#8Bennett#9
    7:58 together at 5v5
  4. L4NewImama#14Lafferty#18Hathaway#21
    7:54 together at 5v5
  1. D1Ekblad#5Forsling#42
    12:58 together at 5v5
  2. D2Jones#3Mikkola#77
    11:55 together at 5v5
  3. D3NewKulikov#7Balinskis#26
    11:24 together at 5v5

Power play

  1. 1Tkachuk LTkachuk LVerhaeghe CReinhart CJones D4:55
  2. 2Eller CBennett CLuostarinen CLundell CEkblad D2:58

Penalty kill

  1. 1Luostarinen CLundell CEkblad DForsling D0:57
  2. 2Eller CHathaway RJones DMikkola D0:37

Behind the bench

Each grey tick is one NHL team.

BUFFLA

Settled lines

Share of 5v5 time from the regular top four lines · 2026–27

BUF 64% (12th most shuffled)FLA 72% (7th most settled)
← Shuffles linesKeeps lines together →

Goalie pull, down one

Median time left in the 3rd when the goalie comes out, delayed penalties excluded · 2025–26 · under 10 pulls is a small sample

BUF 1:54 left (13th earliest · 9 pulls)FLA 2:30 left (2nd earliest · 15 pulls)
← Pulls latePulls early →

Average shift

All skaters, all strengths · 2025–26

BUF 46.8s (7th shortest)FLA 47.4s (10th shortest)
← Short shiftsLong shifts →

Caught on long shifts

Share of 5v5 goals against with a skater 60s+ into his shift · 2025–26

BUF 28% (14th least often)FLA 27% (10th least often)
← Rarely caughtOften caught →

Season series