The Panthers scored the first four goals and hung on to defeat the Sabres, 7-4 on Tuesday night in Buffalo.
Reilly Smith (17, 18) had two goals and an assist and Jussi Jokinen (11) had a goal and two helpers to lead the Panthers, who earned their 69th and 70th points of the season and are now 16 games above .500. Florida is only the fourth team to reach 70 points this season, and they now sit a single point behind the Dallas Stars in the NHL's overall standings.