The goals rained in Buffalo, as the Sabres grabbed their first win of the new season in an 8-4 defeat of the visiting Ottawa Senators. Going into the night, the hosts had scored just twice in their opening three contests. It took them eight minutes to get on the board in this one, as Jack Quinn netted on a power play.
The Senators then scored on either side of intermission to go in front four minutes into the second. This was where the goal frenzy came, as the Sabres rattled off four in the space of six minutes and 57 seconds to take a 5-2 lead into the second break.
Ottawa would not give in, and within the opening two minutes and change, they cut the lead to one. Yet, in the blink of an eye, it went from 5-4 to 7-4 as the Sabres picked up where they left off in the second. By the time Jiri Pulich added an empty netter with 3:16 left, the Sens had peppered more than a dozen efforts on goal. Still, they could not find their way back into it.
It was a similar type of match in St. Louis, where the Blues fell 8-3 to the Chicago Blackhawks. The teams traded goals in the opening frame as the hosts came from behind twice. Things went south for them in the second period though, as the guests found the net twice in a six-minute span to take a commanding advantage.
The Blackhawks added two more in the third before the Blues could get one back. However, it was too late by then, as the damage was already done. An eight was added shortly thereafter, rouding out the scoring. Through five contests, Chicago have scored 18 times, with nearly half of those coming in their win.
Red Wings hand Panthers second straight loss
The Detroit Red Wings continued their strong start to the new season with a 4-1 success over the defending champions Florida Panthers. Mason Appleton opened the scoring shortly after the first intermission, before Patrik Kane doubled the Wings' advantage on a power play.
Brad Marchand halved the deficit for the Panthers before the second period ended, and while they spent the rest of the contest pushing for a leveller, it never came. Appleton notched his second of the game, while Michael Rasmussen put the game beyond doubt - both goals being empty netters.
Now after winning their first three, Florida are on a two-game losing slide, where they conceded nine times. Detroit, meanwhile, made it three victories on the bounce with the result.
A three-minute swing in the second period made the difference for the Utah Mammoth, who battled from a goal down to top the Calgary Flames 3-1. Barrett Hayton and John Peterka's markers came 68 seconds apart to start the middle frame as the league's most recent expansion team completed the comeback in front of their home fans.
Thursday will feature 11 matches in the league. Florida will be right back at it, as they head to New Jersey to face the Devils. An Original Six matchup will also be on tap between the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers.
