Panthers 5, Sabres 3: Scottie Upshall scored to snap a tie with 5:58 remaining in the third period as host Florida won in Jaromir Jagr's debut.

Brandon Pirri scored two power-play goals 83 seconds apart, Derek MacKenzie recorded a tally and an assist and Nick Bjugstad added his team-leading 23rd for the Panthers, who snapped their four-game winless streak (0-3-1). Former Sabre Brad Boyes and Jussi Jokinen each collected three assists while defenseman Brian Campbell set up two goals against his former team as Florida posted a 4-0-1 record versus its Atlantic Division rival this season.

Cody Hodgson notched a goal and an assist while Torrey Mitchell scored for the third time in two contests for Buffalo, which saw its two-game winning streak come to an end. Blue-liner Andrej Meszaros tallied for the second straight contest and Michal Neuvirth finished with 42 saves in defeat.

The Panthers, who held a decisive 19-4 advantage in shots in the second period, capped the three-goal session when Bjugstad swept home a loose puck on the doorstep with 1:29 left to give his team a 3-2 lead. Mitchell scored from the left faceoff circle at 12:54 of the third to forge a tie, but MacKenzie wired a sharp pass from the right corner that Upshall deposited past Neuvirth to give Florida a 4-3 edge.

After recording two goals in his first 56 contests, Hodgson netted his second in three games by one-timing a shot from the top of the left circle past Roberto Luongo (11 saves) just 2:57 into the first period to open the scoring. Meszaros' wrist shot from well above the left circle 4:21 later doubled the advantage, but Pirri converted a 5-on-3 power play with a one-timer from the right circle at 12:01 before leveling the contest from nearly the same spot shortly thereafter.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Acquired from New Jersey for a pair of draft picks on Thursday, Jagr was held off the scoresheet for a career-high ninth straight game. The 43-year-old mustered three shots on goal in his first contest with his eighth NHL team. ... Florida acquired LW Dany Heatley and a third-round pick in this year's draft from Anaheim for LW Tomas Fleischmann prior to the game. ... Pirri was activated from injured reserve prior to the contest after missing nine games due to a shoulder injury sustained during the Panthers' 6-2 triumph over the Ducks on Feb. 10. Florida placed C Dave Bolland on injured reserve on Saturday as well. ... Buffalo C Tyler Ennis sat out with a lower-body injury, but D Nikita Zadorov returned to the lineup after serving as a healthy scratch in three straight contests.