BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola left Saturday's 3-0 loss at Buffalo with an upper-body injury.

Mikkola, 29, got hurt in the second period when he got tied up with Sabres forward Tyson Kozak. Mikkola was assessed a holding penalty on the play and departed moments later.

The Panthers, who are going for a third consecutive Stanley Cup championship, have been hit hard by injuries already this season. Aleksander Barkov will be out for at least seven months because of a knee injury, and fellow forward Matthew Tkachuk could return in December from a torn adductor muscle.

Coach Paul Maurice said Wednesday that defenseman Dmitry Kulikov is expected to be sidelined for about five months because of an upper-body injury.

Florida has dropped four in a row since it

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