The Buffalo Sabres tore up the pregame projections and traded punches with the Florida Panthers until 
Tage ThompsonBUF delivered the knockout blow. Tage ThompsonBUF buried his insurance marker at 13:20 of the third period to cement a 5-3 Buffalo Sabres victory, defying the model's 49 percent win probability in an electric regulation duel.
Florida Panthers sniper 
Sam ReinhartFLA struck twice on the 
powerBUF play, but the Buffalo Sabres countered every push with clinical execution and two-point nights from 
Jack QuinnBUF and 
Peyton KrebsBUF.
Florida Panthers
FLA(51%)
The Buffalo Sabres pulled off an upset over the Florida Panthers, breaking a 3-3 deadlock in the third period with a powerBUF-play tally from Noah Ostlund before Tage ThompsonBUF sealed the win at 13:20. Jack QuinnBUF paced the attack with two assists, while Sam ReinhartFLA matched him with two powerBUF-play goals for the Florida Panthers in a relentless offensive battle. Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen PowerBUF logged 26.5 minutes and added two assists to help steer the Buffalo Sabres past the Florida Panthers in regulation.
Vegas Golden Knights
MIN(51%)
A first-period blitz fueled the Minnesota Wild to a 4-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights, kick-started by Matt Boldy, Maxim Shabanov, and Danila Yurov scoring within a five-minute span. Minnesota Wild defenseman 
Quinn HughesMIN quarterbacked the attack with two primary assists, while Joel Eriksson Ek iced the contest on an empty-net goal at 18:38 of the third period. Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Rasmus Andersson and forward William Karlsson cut into the deficit, but the Vegas Golden Knights could not overcome the early three-goal cushion.
Ottawa Senators
OTT(53%)
The Ottawa Senators controlled every phase on the road, pulling away for a convincing 4-1 victory against the New Jersey Devils. 
Tim StützleOTT engineered the offense with a goal and an assist, setting up Stephen Halliday on the powerBUF play before scoring his own goal at 11:10 of the third period. New Jersey Devils forward Arseny Gritsyuk broke the shutout late off a feed from Jack HughesMIN, but Tyler Kleven buried an unassisted empty-net goal to lock down the road win for the Ottawa Senators.
Momentum Watch
Sam ReinhartFLA validated his hot hand by posting a 0.0628 PPM that registered 76 percent above his season average thanks to two precise powerBUF-play strikes. Jack QuinnBUF also surged past his baseline for the Buffalo Sabres, finishing with two assists and a 0.0825 PPM that sat 62 percent above his season average. Meanwhile, Florida Panthers defenseman 
Seth JonesFLA delivered a 0.0690 PPM—72 percent above his season average—despite the Florida Panthers falling short. On the flip side, Quinn HughesMIN produced two assists for the Minnesota Wild yet checked in at a 0.0283 PPM, which was 34 percent below his season average.
Looking Ahead
The Buffalo Sabres carry serious offensive rhythm into their next matchup after solving the Florida Panthers with a lethal powerBUF-play unit. Tim StützleOTT and the Ottawa Senators proved their defensive structure travels well, setting up high expectations for their upcoming road schedule. The Vegas Golden Knights must tighten their defensive zone coverage early after allowing Matt Boldy and the Minnesota Wild to dictate tempo from the opening faceoff.