United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and counterpart Sven-Goran Eriksson each laid a wreath either side of the centre circle before an impeccably observed minute's silence.
He leaned back against the ropes of the enclosure and watched the horses circle the corral, stood watching them a minute more, as they stood still, then leaned down and came out through the ropes.
The Sabres made it 2-1 less than a minute later when Gerbe took a shot from above the right circle near the boards that deflected off a Panthers player and into the net at 1:36.