Playoff-bound Bills force Sabres’ scheduling change Saturday

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo Bills and Sabres fans need not worry. They’ll get a chance to see both of their teams play Saturday.

The Sabres announced their home game against the Florida Panthers has been moved to 1 p.m. to alleviate any conflict with the Bills playing at Houston in an AFC wild-card game at 4:35 p.m. The Sabres game was initially set to start at 7 p.m., which would have overlapped with the end of the Bills game.

The change was made Monday, a day after the NFL released its playoff schedule, and made easier because the Bills and Sabres are both owned by Terry and Kim Pegula.

Kim Pegula thanked the Panthers for agreeing to the time change.

Florida will be in the midst of a four-game road trip, and has a day off before playing at Buffalo. The Panthers then travel to play Pittsburgh on Sunday.

“Buffalo has a great tradition of all of our teams and fans supporting each other,” Kim Pegula said. “And we want to make sure we can accommodate everyone the best way possible.”

The game against the Panthers is notable, because the Sabres are welcoming back more than 20 alumni from their 1990s teams as part of the franchise’s year-long 50th anniversary celebration.