The Buffalo Sabres have been perfect on the road this season. Their play at home hasn't been too bad, either.

 

Following another impressive victory, the Eastern Conference-leading Sabres look to erase the memory of their last home game when they face the Florida Panthers at HSBC Arena on Friday.

 

Since opening this season with 10 straight wins, Buffalo (12-1-1) has split its past four games, including a come-from-behind 4-3 road victory over the New York Rangers on Sunday.

 

Daniel Briere scored his second goal of the game at 3:57 of overtime, giving the Sabres their NHL-record eighth straight road win to start a season. They broke the mark they shared with Detroit (2005), Philadelphia (1985) and Toronto (1940).

 

The win was Buffalo's fifth this season when trailing by at least two goals.

 

"Lately we've been playing with fire a little too much," Briere said. "We finally got burned with Toronto, where we weren't able to come back."

 

Although their last home game resulted in their only regulation loss of the season, 4-1 to the Maple Leafs on Saturday, the Sabres have outscored opponents 31-22 while compiling a 4-1-1 mark at HSBC Arena.

 

Sunday marked Buffalo's first game this season without right wing Maxim Afinogenov, who is expected to miss 10-14 days with an injury believed to be a separated shoulder. Afinogenov, tied for the team lead with 19 points, was replaced by Jiri Novotny, who played with center Derek Roy and left wing Thomas Vanek against the Rangers.

 

Starting goaltender Ryan Miller had the night off Sunday while backup Martin Biron made 26 saves to improve to 3-0. Biron will have the chance to go to 4-0 because Miller will not play Friday due to a lower body muscle strain suffered during off-ice exercises.

 

"We don't expect it to be too long," Sabres coach Lindry Ruff said following Friday's morning skate. "It's something that flared up on him."

 

One of the few areas of Buffalo's game that isn't currently operating at a high level is its special teams. The Sabres are 1-for-14 on the power play in the past three games while the opposition has gone 6-for-15.

 

"I thought the goal we scored in New York was a timely goal," Ruff said of Sunday's lone power-play tally, "but we haven't been generating the amount of opportunities or scoring chances on our power play that we did previously. We want to improve in that area."

 

Friday should present quite a challenge for the Panthers (6-7-3), who have one win in eight road games (1-5-2) this season and have dropped four of five overall.

 

Florida erased a two-goal deficit on Wednesday, but was unable to score in the shootout in a 4-3 loss to the visiting Rangers.

 

"Once we got going we created a lot of really good opportunities," Panthers coach Jacques Martin said. "I think the second half of the game was definitely really positive."

 

Veteran center Joe Nieuwendyk returned to the lineup Wednesday for Florida after missing four games with a back injury and assisted on Ruslan Salei's second-period goal.

 

Nieuwendyk's presence should help improve the Panthers' power play, which has converted three of 26 opportunities in seven games.

 

These clubs are meeting for the first time this season. The Panthers had a chance for their first season sweep of the Sabres after winning the first three meetings in 2005-06, but Vanek scored twice to lead Buffalo to a 5-3 home victory on Feb. 11.

 

Sabres are a hell of a team right now. Should be an awesome game tonight in Buffalo. Go get 'em, Panthers!

if my school wasn't paying UCONN in basketball and Clarkson in hockey, I would listen...but there is only so much sports i can handle at once! GO PANTHERS, keep the boards updated for me!

This one's going to hurt.

Ryan Miller nor Maxim Afinigenov are playing tonight. Panthers need to take advantage of that.

This one's going to hurt.

That's the spirit!

 

Stephen Weiss lives in Coral Springs? Anyone know where? Jon?

Gary Roberts puts the biscuit in the basket! 1-0 Good Guys

Good good first period from the Cats/

Great D after the early goal against a tough offense. Keep this up!

 

Salei has really had a great year thus far. Awesome to see.

 

Score. Brian Campbell ties it at 2. Van Ryn was having his stick held in front of the net. No call.

 

2-2 at the end of the second.

Nice to see the Panthers competing, they can keep up with the top teams in the league, but that's usually just at home. When they compete with top teams on the road its like omg awesome.

Nice to see the Panthers competing, they can keep up with the top teams in the league, but that's usually just at home. When they compete with top teams on the road its like omg awesome.

Fairweather fan.

 

 

The Panthers are playing a very good defensive game. Auld is playing really well. Jacques's system is now firmly in place. And the Campbell goal (yay fantasy team, boo real life) was a poor call on the hand of the ref. Mike van Ryn was being held but thats the way they've called the game for both teams so whatever.

Only the freaking Panthers. I'm flipping back and forth between the Heat and Panthers and I leave the Panthers for 2 minutes and BAM, they're down 2 after being tied. WTF happened?

Nice to see the Panthers competing, they can keep up with the top teams in the league, but that's usually just at home. When they compete with top teams on the road its like omg awesome.

Fairweather fan.

 

You're saying that about a person whose letting his general chemistry grade suffer so he can go to a Panthers game on the 22nd. I just don't feel confident about having to face Buffalo, and the Sabres have pretty much shown they should be feared.

Nice to see the Panthers competing, they can keep up with the top teams in the league, but that's usually just at home. When they compete with top teams on the road its like omg awesome.

Fairweather fan.

 

You're saying that about a person whose letting his general chemistry grade suffer so he can go to a Panthers game on the 22nd. I just don't feel confident about having to face Buffalo, and the Sabres have pretty much shown they should be feared.

You should always have confidence in your team. Always. It's one of the things that makes true NHL fans the greatest, most loyal sports fans there are.

 

JOE SCORES! 4-3! PANTHER PP! DO THIS!

 

SCOREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! STEVE MONTADOR! PANTHERS TIE IT!