Vanacek’s 21 saves, Cats dominate, and more: 3 reasons why Florida Panthers shout out Buffalo Sabres 4-0

The Florida Panthers got a big 4-0 shutout win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night at the Amerant Bank Arena. With the win, the Panthers extended their winning streak to six games. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres have now dropped six in a row.

A.J. Greer, Carter Verhaeghe, Anton Lundell, and Sam Bennett (EN) got the goals for the Florida Panthers. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 32 saves in the losing effort for the Buffalo Sabres.

So, here’s a look at the three key reasons why the Florida Panthers got a 4-0 shutout over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night.

3 reasons why Florida Panthers shutout Buffalo Sabres

#3 Depth scoring comes through

The Florida Panthers are one of the most talented teams in the league. But with the Panthers down Matthew Tkachuk, along with Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart not finding the back of the net, it was the team’s depth scoring that stepped up.

The game-winner came courtesy of grinder A.J. Greer, who registered his sixth of the season in the first period. Here’s a look at the goal:

Greer chipped away at a loose puck in the crease, shoveling it past Luukkonen for what would become the game-winning goal on the night. It was a grinder’s goal and a valuable one at that.

#2 Cats dominate

The Florida Panthers dominated the game from start to finish. The Sabres, while attempting to get back into the game at times, were unable to get much going against a far superior team.

When everything was said and done, the Panthers outshot the Sabres 36-21, won nearly 56% of the face-offs, and got 29 hits to the Sabres’ 19.

The giveaways were even at 10, with the takeaways likewise even at three. Still, the eye test proved the Cats were in control from the opening draw. The Sabres deserve credit for playing a tough game. However, they were unable to solve Vitek Vanacek who looked terrific in his Panthers debut.

#1 Vanacek’s 21 saves

Vitek Vanacek came over from the San Jose Sharks at the trade deadline. The Panthers got the veteran goalie to back up starter Sergei Bobrovsky after they moved Spencer Knight in the Seth Jones trade.

Vanacek did not disappoint, making 21 saves to earn a shutout in his first game in Florida. Vanacek’s performance is a good sign that the Panthers have a solid tandem heading into the playoffs.

After earning their 40th win of the season, the Panthers will have a couple of days off before facing the struggling Boston Bruins at the TD Garden on Tuesday night in an Atlantic Division tilt.