Pre-game
*The Sabres will look to avoid losing three consecutive home games for the first time since going 0-2-1 from Feb. 11 to Feb. 17, 2012. The team finished last season with an 8-2-0 record in their last 10 home games.
*Today is Buffalo’s third Sunday afternoon game of the season (1-1-0 in first two). The Sabres will play 11 Sunday games and nine afternoon games this season, up from one Sunday game and four afternoon games last season.
*Today is Cody Hodgson’s 100th career game.
After 1st period: FLA 1 – BUF 2
*With his goal, Thomas Vanek has points in each of the eight games he’s appeared in this season. Dating back to last season, Vanek has recorded 28 points (10+18) in his last 18 games.
*Jason Pominville recorded an assist on Vanek’s goal, tying Mike Foligno for 10th-most assists (264) in Sabres history and tying Alexander Mogilny for 12th-most points (444) in Sabres history.
*Vanek and Pominville have now each recorded a point on the same goal 10 times this season. They were the seventh-most prolific pair in the NHL last season, combining on 39 goals.
*Pominville has not gone two home games without recording a point since Feb. 25 and 26, 2011. He’s recorded at least one point in each of four home games so far this season, totaling six (1+5).
*The Sabres are 3-2-0 when scoring the first goal; the Panthers are 0-4-0 when allowing the first goal.
*Buffalo is 2-0-0 when leading after the first period; Florida is 0-4-0 when trailing after o
After 2nd period: FLA 3 – BUF 3
*With two goals this season, Alexander Sulzer is one goal shy of his career high of three.
*Cody Hodgson has tallied three points (1+2), matching his career high set Thursday at BOS (1+2).
*With three points (1+2), Vanek is having his fourth multi-point game in his eighth game played. He has had five points twice, three points once (tonight) and two points once.
*LW Marcus Foligno leads all Sabres skaters with a TOI of 15:40.
*Buffalo is 2-1-0 when tied after the second period; Florida is 1-0-0 when tied after two.
Final: FLA 4 – BUF 3
*The Sabres have lost three consecutive home games for the first time since going 0-2-1 from Feb. 11 to Feb. 17, 2012. The team finished last season with an 8-2-0 record in their last 10 home games.
*Marcus Foligno logged a career-high ice time of 21:46. His previous high was 18:21 at PHI (4/5/12).
*Buffalo falls to 1-2-0 in the second game of back-to-back sets. They have now been swept twice in three sets.
