Josh Doan scored two power-play goals, Alex Lyon stopped all 32 shots he faced, and the Buffalo Sabres blanked the Florida Panthers 3-0 on Saturday night at KeyBank Center. Owen Power also found the back of the net for Buffalo, which has now won two straight following an 0-3 start to the season.
Lyon, making his third start since joining the Sabres, recorded his first shutout since Oct. 22, 2024, when he blanked the New York Islanders as a member of the Detroit Red Wings.
“It feels great to help this team get rolling,” Lyon said. “We’ve tightened things up defensively, and our special teams really stepped up tonight.”
Doan, acquired in a June trade with Utah for JJ Peterka, got Buffalo on the board 7:13 into the first period when Tage Thompson’s shot from the left circle deflected off his leg and past Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. The goal was credited as Doan’s first of the season.
The 22-year-old rookie struck again midway through the second period, this time cleanly finishing a slick pass from Jason Zucker in front of the net at 11:12 to double Buffalo’s lead. Power made it 3-0 at 14:20 of the same frame, ripping a shot through traffic for his first of the season.
Florida, meanwhile, continued its early-season struggles. The two-time defending Stanley Cup champions dropped their fourth straight game after starting the year 3-0. Bobrovsky made 28 saves but received little help from an injury-depleted lineup.
The Panthers lost yet another key piece when defenseman Niko Mikkola exited in the second period with an upper-body injury following a tie-up with Sabres forward Tyson Kozak. He joins forwards Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov and defenseman Dmitry Kulikov on the injury list.
“It’s tough right now,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “We’re missing some big pieces, but we’ve got to find a way to grind out points until we get healthy.”
Buffalo’s defense also took a hit when Jacob Bryson left in the first period with an undisclosed injury and did not return.
The Sabres went 2-for-5 on the power play and killed all three Florida opportunities, while Lyon was sharp throughout, preserving his shutout with several key saves in the third period.
Panthers: Visit the Boston Bruins on Tuesday to close out a five-game road trip. Sabres: Travel to Montreal to face the Canadiens on Monday night.