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Posted at 4:00 PM EST.

7:05 PM EST. Regulation only. Make no mistake that if Florida had some goaltending, even adequate, they would be a team headed to the playoffs with a great chance at a deep run but the Panthers three-headed goaltending monster (Reimer, Luongo and Hutchinson) has posted a SV % that ranks 27th in the NHL among 31 teams. It’s tough to win when you’re fighting soft goals against but Florida ranks 9th in Corsi For % during five-on-five play, ahead of Boston, Pittsburgh and Winnipeg among others and just behind the Preds. The Florida Panthers are loaded with high end talent up front and if Luongo can stay upright or they make a deal for a front end goalie, look out. When you bet the Panthers, there is always a risk of weak goaltending messing up your wager, which is why we prefer them as a pooch but we’ll make an exception here because this one is about fading the Sabres.

Buffalo’s franchise record breaking winning streak came to a halt last night in Tampa Bay but Buffalo was in a position to extend it, as they held a 4-3 lead midway through the final period before the Bolts would tally twice. What happens during a winning streak of that magnitude is that it takes on a life of its own. The media starts over-emphasizing it. When the team arrives in another city, the local reporters want to talk about it. The players begin taking on the roll of the “hottest team on ice” and intensity increases with each passing victory. The team becomes the “talk of the town” and for a team like Buffalo that is not used to winning streaks or winning, the players embrace it even more. All eyes in the hockey world were on the Buffalo Sabres and now it’s over. What happens after such an emotional high that has lasted for an extended period of time is an exhale of sorts. It would be unreasonable to expect the Sabres to perform at that same high level here the day after said winning streak ended. What follows one loss after such a streak is often another loss. There’s no hype or excitement surrounding the Sabres or their winning streak in Florida tonight. The media doesn’t give a rat’s ass anymore and the building will be three quarters empty. We’re suggesting that Buffalo’s tank will also be empty.

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