Tarasov allowed five goals in consecutive games heading into the Olympic break and will hope to rebound when he returns to the crease on Friday against the Buffalo Sabres. The two-game blip for the 26-year-old Tarasov put a halt to his best stretch of the season, when he had a 2.54 GAA and .913 SV% over 13 games (8-4-1). The Panthers enter Friday's contest as slight -110 home favourites against a Sabres team that defeated them 5-3 earlier this month.
