SUNRISE, Fla. – Roberto Luongo made 25 saves in his return to Florida, while Dmitry Kulikov and Jesse Winchester each scored power-play goals to lead the Panthers over the Buffalo Sabres 2-0 on Friday night.
Luongo, acquired in a trade with Vancouver on Tuesday, was in net for the first time for Florida since April 18, 2006. Luongo previously played for Florida from 2000-2006.
It was the fourth shutout of the season for Luongo. His last was on Dec. 13, 2013, a 4-0 win for Vancouver over Edmonton in which he made 19 saves. It was the first regular-season shutout for the Panthers since a 2-0 win over Carolina on March 11, 2012 in which Jose Theodore had 34 saves.
Michal Neuvirth stopped 42 shots in his first start for Buffalo since being acquired from Washington last Wednesday.
The Panthers won for just the second time in seven games. The Sabres lost their second in six games.
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