Sabres given immense praise by 2-time defending Stanley Cup champs

The Buffalo Sabres have caught everyone's attention.

That includes the gaze of the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.

On Monday night, the Sabres pulled off a 5-3 win on the road at Florida.

Buffalo improved to 32-18-5. The Panthers are 28-24-3.

The Sabres trailed 2-0 less than five minutes into the game, but then three goals in a row made it 3-2 Buffalo.

Florida tied it at 3-apiece heading to the third, but goals from Jason Zucker and Josh Doan added up to the final tally for the Sabres.

MORE: How Connor McDavid is to the Oilers what Josh Allen is to the Bills

Afterward, Panthers superstar Matthew Tkachuk had immense praise for Buffalo.

“Honestly they’re way more skilled than us, that team,” Tkachuk said, via The Athletic. “From an individual standpoint skill, they have us by a lot."

Buffalo is trying to end the longest playoff drought in the sport, 14 consecutive seasons in which they've missed the postseason entirely.

With the trade deadline approaching, the Sabres have turned themselves into potential buyers. Of course, they won't want to mess with the vibes too much right now. Buffalo is on one of the best rolls in franchise history.

MORE: How Olympic roster freeze may create a second NHL trade deadline

The Sabres play two more games before the Olympic break. First, they're in Tampa Bay on Tuesday night to take on the Lightning.

Then it's back home on Thursday to host the Pittsburgh Penguins before the Olympics get underway.

More NHL news:

• Jason Robertson shows how big a mistake Team USA made
• Evgeni Malkin's future with the Penguins may have changed
• This Oilers comeback didn't even make sense
• Why Craig Berube has a huge cut on his head
• Maple Leafs can trade for veteran who already likes playing in Toronto
• Senators warned about looming trade of $57.5 million star