Panthers Pull Markstrom After One Period Against Sabres

Florida Panthers starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom exited Monday afternoon's game against the Buffalo Sabres in Buffalo after the opening period, forcing the team to turn to Akira Schmid during a 5-3 defeat. Coach Paul Maurice said something had tightened up but clarified after the game that Markstrom had no injury.

Markstrom faced 11 shots and made nine saves during the first 20 minutes, according to the game's reported statistics. He did not return for the second period, with Schmid taking over in goal for the remainder of the contest.

The Panthers were already without Sasha Barkov and Brad Marchand because of injuries, adding to the team's personnel concerns during the loss. Schmid stopped 18 of 21 shots after replacing Markstrom, according to the game report.

Speaking after Florida's defeat, Maurice described the issue that prompted the goaltender's early departure.

"There's no injury there," Maurice said following Florida's 5-3 loss to the Sabres.

The coach also played down the severity of the situation, indicating that the team did not consider it an issue it could not manage.

"There's nothing we can't deal with. Just standard stuff," Maurice said.

Florida, which holds a 2-2-2 record, is scheduled to face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Schmid is expected to start in goal for the Panthers, according to the report.

The upcoming matchup will be Florida's seventh game of the season. The Panthers are also scheduled to host the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Florida won the teams' regular-season meeting last season, taking a 2-1 victory over Columbus. The Panthers hold a 29-17-10 advantage in the all-time regular-season series, according to the published game preview.