This was the Lightning’s leakiest defensive performance in several weeks. Despite Buffalo’s last-place standing in the Eastern Conference, the Sabres are a prolific offensive team, and they capitalized on a number of their scoring chances. But Buffalo also ranks near the bottom of the league in goals allowed per game — they struggled defensively in this contest just as Tampa Bay did. In the end, the Lightning outscored their defensive problems to secure their 10th victory in their last 11 games.
In the first period, the Lightning yielded three odd-man rush chances that led to Buffalo goals. It was the first time that they’d allowed three goals in a period since December 17. The Lightning netted two of their own, both of which deflected off Buffalo players. Nick Paul’s centering pass hit the stick of Connor Clifton and caromed past Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen at 5:01. Darren Raddysh’s right-point shot ricocheted off Bo Byrum’s stick, banked off Luukkonen’s helmet, and fluttered into the net at 5:53. But Rasmus Dahlin’s two-on-one goal occurred between the two Lightning tallies. Alex Tuch scored on a two-on-one goal at 8:20 and evened the score at two. Another rush coverage miscue by the Lightning led to Peyton Krebs’ in-alone chance at 17:09. Krebs finished his chance to give Buffalo the lead.
Fifty-eight seconds into the second period, Erik Cernak delivered a perfectly placed pass to Jake Guentzel for a redirection goal that tied the score at three. But the Lightning surrendered the next two. Tage Thompson’s left-circle shot at 9:35 during a Sabres’ power play made it 4-3. Just over three minutes later, J.J. Peterka stripped Nikita Kucherov of the puck in the Tampa Bay end and zipped a right-circle shot over the glove of Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Down by two goals with less than two and a half minutes left in the period, the Lightning rallied. Paul won a puck battle in the offensive zone and slipped a pass to Brayden Point at the left circle. Point delivered a pass to an unguarded Guentzel at the front of the net, and Guentzel backhanded the puck past Luukkonen at 17:43. Less than a minute later, Dahlin was given an extra minor penalty during a post-whistle scrum. On the ensuing power play, Guentzel took a pass from Brandon Hagel and completed his hat trick. Luukkonen bit on a potential Hagel shot from the slot and was out of position for Guentzel’s right-circle attempt. Guentzel fired the puck into an open side of the net at 18:46.
Early in the third, the two newest members of the Lightning teamed up for the eventual game-winning goal. Following a Kucherov right-circle shot, Yanni Gourde knocked the puck to Oliver Bjorkstrand at the top of the crease, and Bjorkstrand swatted it in at 1:40.
Vasilevskiy yielded five goals on the first 15 shots he faced, but stopped the final 18. Thirteen of those came in the third period, and several of them were high-danger attempts. But he didn’t allow the Lightning to relinquish that third-period lead. The Lightning also had to navigate through late penalty trouble. Brandon Hagel was called for tripping at 18:06, so the Sabres went on a dangerous six-on-four power play. Vasilevskiy made two saves during the six-on-four. Then Ryan McDonagh was whistled for high-sticking at 19:43, which put the Sabres on a six-on-three for the final 17 seconds. But the Lightning got two key blocks in the closing moments. Luke Glendening blocked Dahlin’s attempt at 19:46. Cernak blocked Thompson’s blast with five seconds left. The puck came out of the defensive zone following Cernak’s block, and time expired.
The Lightning went most of the game without Victor Hedman, who left after only playing three shifts. We’ll see if he’s able to go on Saturday afternoon when the Lightning wrap up the homestand against Boston.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game (as selected by Phil Esposito):
- Jake Guentzel — Lightning. Hat trick.
- Erik Cernak — Lightning. Assist. Shot block on Thompson at the end of the game.
- Nick Paul — Lightning. Goal and assist.
