Schmidt set the goal on a drive to the net and scored his second assist of the night.
“Schmidi’s fantastic game,” Randell said. “He was a big part of our team throughout the season. I’m really happy with him because you don’t always see him on the score sheet. He’s always happy. He’s always loud in the locker room and the leader in the locker room.”
Things got chippy in the third season and Greer dropped his gloves along with Josh Dunn.
The Panthers closed the door to return to the comeback for the Sabres, locking things up even later and defensively, allowing only three shots in goal in the final frame.
With 34 seconds left, Sam Bennett made it 4-0 with an empty net goal.
On the roll, the Panthers have only allowed one goal in the last four games.
“We’re having a good jump right now,” Maurice said.
They said that
“It’s a good sign that we drive online, we have some opportunities and we are strong in front of the internet.” – Anton Randell on the nature of Florida’s goals tonight
“He had to save tonight, tough saves. That team, I think they have more goals than us. They have some offense and they’re dangerous. He got that shutout.” – Paul Maurice on Vitek Vanecek’s performance
“The PK system is very different from the one I played in San Jose. It doesn’t get perfect anytime soon. There are a few hiccups along the way. I think I was just throwing me into the fire.” – Nico staggered by getting an early minutes with a penalty kill.
Cat statistics
-The Panthers lead the NHL with 29 wins if they score first.
-Panthers are the fourth team in the NHL, reaching 40 wins.
-Vitek Vanecek is the third goaltender in Panthers history, recording a shutout in his team debut.
-Sam Bennett went 8-8 (87.5%) on the Facoff Circle.
– Seth Jones fired four shots in the goal.
-AJ Greer recorded a team high 6 hit.
-The Panthers led 18-6 in a 5-5 shot attempt when Nico Sturm was on the ice.
What’s next?
After cleaning the home stand, this time you hit the road.
The Panthers will begin their six-game swing and will face the Boston Bruins at TD Garden at 7pm on Tuesday.
Click here to find a place to watch the game in South Florida.
