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Panthers ride four-goal first in rout of Sabres

Dec 18, 2010 - 5:25 AM Sunrise, FL (Sports Network) - Marty Reasoner scored twice as Florida used a strong first period to take a 6-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres.

Stephen Weiss and Michael Frolik also tallied for the Panthers, who had dropped their previous two. Tomas Vokoun stopped 41 shots in the win.

"I had been getting some chances that weren't going on, so getting these two gets the confidence going," said Reasoner. "Whenever they pushed us tonight we responded and it was a big win."

Derek Roy and Tim Connolly each had a goal for the Sabres, who had won four of six coming in. Ryan Miller started in net but was pulled after the first period after allowing four goals on 10 shots. Patrick Lalime made 14 saves the rest of the way.

Florida did all the scoring in the first period with four goals in the opening 20 minutes.

The first goal came 1:40 in when Bryan McCabe blasted a shot from the left point that Miller stopped. McCabe received his own rebound and flicked it in for the early lead.

At the 8:23 mark, Reasoner scored his first goal when his sharp pass from the right circle hit off the skate of Steve Montador in front and snuck past Miller.

Reasoner scored his second goal of the game with 5:52 to play in the first, grabbing the puck off the back boards and snapping it in from the right circle.

Skating on the power play, David Booth capped the scoring in the frame from the slot with a wrister for his eighth goal of the season.

Miller was replaced by Lalime to start the second period and nearly escaped the frame unscathed, but Frolik scored with 1:02 left for a 5-0 lead.

In the final moments of the second, Roy got Buffalo on the board with his 10th goal of the year.

Weiss lit the lamp while shorthanded just 13 seconds into the third, while Connolly scored later on the same power play to make it a 6-2 game.

Game Notes

Florida hits the road for the next three games, starting in Philadelphia on Monday...Buffalo plays at Tampa on Saturday...Buffalo took three of four from Florida last season...Florida was 1-for-4 on the power play, while Buffalo went 1-for-5.