After the Sabers built a 6-5 advantage with a late goaltender, Grier scored his second goal of the game by sending the puck into an empty net at 18:46 to make it 4-2.
Grier, who moved into the top six for the injury-depleted Panthers, scored a career-best nine goals and also tied a career-high for total points with 17.
“I think I brought some confidence from last year and the offseason that followed. I’m really happy with where I’m at right now,” Grier said. “I give a huge compliment to my linemates and coaches for giving me this opportunity.”
Alex Tuch scored with 14 seconds left, cutting Buffalo’s lead to 4-3.
The Panthers finished strong, allowing just six shots on goal in the third period.
“Well, we were good,” Maurice said. “I think we allowed one shot in the first 11 minutes (of the third period). I don’t know when the shot came, but at the nine-minute timeout we allowed one. We weren’t holding back. We weren’t just shooting the puck. We were trying to push the pace.”
they said it
“It was a tough road trip. We’re playing a good team, a fast transition team. … We lost some guys to get the two points, so I thought everyone did a great job.” – AJ Greer
“We did a good job (on the penalty kill). Obviously they have a good feel. I think we did a good job denying those entries. Overall, the pressure we were able to put on was good.” – Etu Luostarinen
“He (AJ Grier) has great jumping ability. He’s very quick with the puck and plays with confidence. It’s a great combination.” – Sam Reinhart
cat statistics
– Gustav Forsling has three points (1G, 2A) in the past two games.
– Ietu Luostarinen and Aaron Ekblad each blocked three shots.
– Niko Mikkola had a team-best 25 minutes, 16 seconds of ice time.
– Sam Reinhart had a team-high seven shots on goal.
– Sergei Bobrovsky improved his career record to 17-8-2 against Buffalo.
What’s next?
A simple reset will get you back on the road.
After a few days of sunny skies, the Panthers will take to the skies again for back-to-back games starting Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center.
Click here to find where to watch in South Florida.
