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Record-setting wins don’t get much hollower than Florida’s victory Saturday night.

The Panthers were eliminated from playoff contention Authentic Alexander Wennberg Jersey , even after Vincent Trocheck scored late in the third period to help hold off the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 and set a franchise mark with 27 home victories.

Florida’s slim playoff hopes ended when Philadelphia beat the New York Rangers 5-0 earlier in the day. The Panthers took out their frustration on the Sabres, going ahead 3-0 in the first period.

The Panthers’ season ends in Boston on Sunday.

”We wanted to go in tomorrow and have a chance to clinch a spot in the playoffs,” coach Bob Boughner said. ”It’s tough to have to rely on other teams. We know an hour before the game our playoff hopes were done. It was tough going into this game and getting the job done tonight.”

Jonathan Huberdeau scored a power-play goal for the Panthers. Colton Sceviour had a goal and an assist and Nick Bjugstad also scored.

”I think everybody in here is disappointed. The whole goal this year was to make the playoffs,” Trocheck said. ”Everybody coming into the game, we were all preparing as if it was going to be a do-or-die game. Kind of went into it the same way we would have gone into it if we were in the playoffs.”

James Reimer made 38 saves in place of Roberto Luongo, who had played three games in four nights Authentic Michael Dickson Jersey , including his 1,000th game Thursday. The Panthers also played without points leader Aleksander Barkov, who injured his shoulder late in the third period in Thursday’s game against the Bruins. Barkov will also miss Sunday’s finale.

Ryan O’Reilly, Sam Reinhart and Jason Pominville scored for Buffalo. Chad Johnson allowed three goals on 12 shots in the first period and was replaced to start the second with Adam Wilcox. Wilcox finished with 14 stops in his NHL debut.

”The guys did a good job battling for me,” Wilcox said. ”They knew it was my debut tonight. A lot of respect for them battling for me for two periods. I just wanted to give the guys a chance to get back in the game, and they did a good job of doing that.”

The Panthers were cruising but the Sabres mounted a final flurry http://www.brownsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-baker-mayfield-jersey , scoring two goals 21 seconds apart late in the third period to make it 3-2. Pominville scored on a wrist shot with 4:30 left, and Reinhart scored shortly after.

”Just to be blunt and honest, that was typically what our season was,” coach Phil Housley said. ”We couldn’t come out and start on time, and then we get the urgency to push back and get back into a game and make a game of it.”

Trocheck’s empty-netter with 1:23 left made it score 4-2. O’Reilly’s power-play tally with 15.8 left closed the gap to 4-3.

The Panthers took a 1-0 lead when Huberdeau deflected in a shot from Trocheck during a 5-on-3 power-play at 3:04 of the first. Sceviour made it 2-0 when he deflected a shot by Frank Vatrano at 10:59. Bjugstad then slid a puck under Johnson at 13:39.

NOTES: Retiring Panthers F Radim Vrbata played his last game. Vrbata played 1,057 career games Womens Landon Collins Jersey , including 42 with the Panthers. ”I’m glad I got a chance to play and have my family here. My wife, my sons, they got to see me one more time.” … O’Reilly set the NHL record for faceoff wins in a single season with 1,269 – passing Rod Brind’Amour (1,268 FOW in 2005-06). ”It’s special. It’s something I take a lot of pride in,” O’Reilly said. … A moment of silence was observed before the game in memory of the lives lost in a traffic accident Friday night involving the Humboldt Broncos Steelers Authentic Jerseys , a youth hockey team from Canada.

UP NEXT

Sabres: Completed their season.

Panthers: Visit Boston Bruins on Sunday.

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The Latest on the NFL concussion settlement (all times local):

5:10 p.m.

Lawyers representing former NFL players in their concussion claims estimate payouts from the settlement with the league will likely reach $1.4 billion.

The lawyers filed a status update Wednesday saying an actuary estimates the approved payouts to date and the number of players who had filed to be a part of the settlement are outpacing any previous estimate. The actuary says participation rates are 21 percent higher than estimated when the settlement was reached.

The $400 million increase in estimated payout came after a judge Wednesday denied for now a request from the league to appoint a special investigator to look into what the league said was extensive fraudulent claims against the settlement fund.

Judge Anita Brody says, as of now, the audit process seems to be appropriately ferreting out and denying those claims.

3:40 p.m.

A federal judge has denied a request from the NFL to appoint a special investigator to look into what the league says is extensive fraudulent claims on the $1 billion concussion settlement.

Judge Anita Brody wrote in her ruling Wednesday that the league's attorneys have demonstrated that there is "sufficient evidence of probable fraud to warrant serious concern." Brody says the already in place special master and claims administrator have effectively ferreted out those claims.

The league cited an independent study it said found more than 400 claims had been recommended for denial based on evidence of fraud by attorneys, doctors and former players attempting to cheat the program.

Plaintiffs' lawyers say they support Brody's decision, noting more than $485 million has already been approved for valid claims.

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