Gerbe, Miller lead Sabres over Panthers 4-3 in SO

[March 01, 2013]  SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) -- Nathan Gerbe scored his first two goals of the season, Ryan Miller made 38 saves and the Buffalo Sabres beat the struggling Florida Panthers 4-3 in a shootout Thursday night.

Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville both scored in the tiebreaker for Buffalo. Jonathan Huberdeau and Peter Mueller missed their attempts for Florida.

Tyler Ennis also scored in regulation for the Sabres and Steve Ott had two assists. Buffalo has won two straight since losing four in a row and is 2-1 since Ron Rolston took over as interim coach when Lindy Ruff was fired.

Brian Campbell, Marcel Goc and Drew Shore scored for the Panthers. Jose Theodore, who replaced Scott Clemmensen in goal with 3:14 left in the first period, stopped all 12 shots he faced.

The Panthers have lost eight of their past 10 games.

Campbell tied it at 3 with a slap shot from the top of the left circle with 1:26 left in regulation after the Panthers won a faceoff.

All the other scoring came in the first period.

With the score tied 2-all, Gerbe's second goal of the game, a wrist shot from the short side, reclaimed the lead for the Sabres and chased Clemmensen, who allowed three goals on 10 shots.

Trailing 2-0, the Panthers made it 2-1 on a power-play goal by Shore, the second of the season for the rookie. He backhanded a shot from in front that went under Miller's pads at 14:24 of the first.

Florida tied the game at 2 less than a minute later. Goc brought the puck out from behind the net and swept it past Miller for his second goal in two games.

The Sabres went ahead 1-0 on Gerbe's first goal in 17 games this year. His wrist shot from the right circle found its way into the Panthers' net at 6:30.

Ennis scored a power-play goal at 11:00 to give Buffalo a 2-0 lead. A Panthers defenseman tried to clear the puck from in front of the net but Ennis found it and flipped it in from the right side of the crease. The Sabres were 0 for 13 on the power play coming in.

NOTES: Florida D Mike Weaver left in the first period with a lower-body injury and did not return. ... C Stephen Weiss returned to the lineup after missing Tuesday's game to attend his grandmother's funeral. ... Buffalo D Jordan Leopold missed his fourth straight game and remains day to day with an upper-body injury.

[Associated Press; By PAUL GEREFFI]

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