'There's no better feeling' | Sabres beat Lightning in shootout for 5th straight home win

James Reimer soaked in the applause from the KeyBank Center crowd as it celebrated the Buffalo Sabres’ 3-2 shootout victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night.

The win was the Sabres’ fifth straight at home and sixth in their last seven games overall.

“When you’re playing well at home, there’s no better feeling on Earth,” Reimer said. “When you get the crowd behind you and the barn is rocking, that’s what you dream of as a kid.

“… We’ve been playing really well, we’ve been playing really hard – to a man – in here. There’s a standard we’re trying to hold each other to, and when you start getting the results like that at home, that’s one of the main reasons you play for, is that feeling.”

The Sabres gave their fans plenty to cheer for on Saturday. They turned in a shutdown defensive effort during the first period, erased an early 1-0 deficit with Tage Thompson’s 40th goal of the season and received highlight-reel saves from Reimer, who extended his personal winning streak to six games.

They also showed the fortitude to come back against the Lightning, who were 35-1-1 when leading through 40 minutes this season. The Sabres, trailing 2-1 and shorthanded to start the third period, gained momentum off a successful penalty kill and tied the game on a power-play goal from Jason Zucker.

“I think we’re just trying to buy into the right things and do the right things consistently, and when you do that you give yourself a chance to have success,” Zucker said.

The Sabres held the Lightning without a shot until 5:48 remained in the first period. They had nine first-period shots of their own and finished the game with 38, marking their fifth-highest total of the season.

Brayden Point opened the scoring for Tampa Bay 1:35 into the second period, the product of a favorable bounce after Bowen Byram blocked a shot from Nikita Kucherov. The puck went directly to Point, who buried a quick shot between Reimer’s pads.

Thompson responded for the Sabres less than four minutes later to tie the score at 1-1, but the Lightning captured momentum to end the second period: first with Gage Goncalves’ go-ahead goal with 6:59 remaining and then with a penalty against the Sabres for too many men on the ice as the clock expired.

Buffalo killed the penalty and went on to outshoot Tampa Bay 13-5 during the third period. JJ Peterka carried the puck with speed into the offensive zone to draw a hooking penalty against Goncalves, which set the stage for Zucker’s game-tying goal on the power play, a put-back off a shot from the point by Rasmus Dahlin.

“[We] played a heck of a third period and got rewarded for playing well away from the puck and managing the puck,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said.

The two teams traded chances in overtime, which included a breakaway stop by Lighting goaltender Jonas Johansson on Peterka and a blocker save from Reimer on Jake Guentzel. Jack Quinn and Alex Tuch scored goals in the shootout.

Buffalo improved to 9-4-0 in its last 13 games, with seven of those wins having come against teams destined for the playoffs – including the NHL’s top two teams in Winnipeg and Washington.

And while the Sabres’ own playoff hopes dwindled further with a Canadiens win on Saturday – they remain 11 points behind Montreal with just seven games remaining – they’re intent on finishing the season with this consistent, detail-oriented recipe for success.

“Because we have work to do, really,” Ruff said. “We have work to do as a team; establishing the way we need to play, the way we need to manage the puck night in, night out, shift after shift and they’ve wrapped their arms around, we know where we’re at.

“But to become a better team you’ve got to take every period, every game you’re playing right now and use it as a stepping stone and I think you’ve got to give them a lot of credit right now for digging in.”

Here’s more from the win.

1. Noah Ostlund, a first-round pick by the Sabres in 2022, made his NHL debut and skated 8:37 primarily on a line with Sam Lafferty and Beck Malenstyn. He made a quick pass from behind the net to set up a Malenstyn chance during the second period and impressed Ruff with his play in the defensive zone.

Ruff said he would have liked to get the 21-year-old more ice time but added that there will be more to come.

“He's gonna play some hockey for us, so it was a great start,” Ruff said. “Got a win in his first NHL game. I thought he had plays inside the D-zone that you really like. He read the plays well, didn't get himself in any trouble.”

Ostlund had 35 points in his last 32 games with Rochester, including goals in his last six contests. He was named AHL Rookie of the Month for March.

2. Thompson became the eighth player to have multiple 40-goal seasons as a member of the Sabres, joining Rick Martin (five times), Danny Gare (three times), Gilbert Perreault (three times), Pat LaFontaine (three times), Rene Robert (twice), Dave Andreychuk (twice), and Thomas Vanek (twice).

Thompson previously scored 47 goals in 2022-23 (along with a 38-goal campaign in 2021-22).

“It’s nice,” Thompson said. “Obviously, you set personal goals for yourself before the season starts. For me, that was one of them. Obviously, the individual stuff is always second, the team stuff’s always first, and I think individual success is a byproduct of how you play as a group. I’ve been fortunate enough to play with a lot of skilled players that have made my life a lot easier and help me get to that plateau."

3. Reimer’s night included a pair of highlight-reel saves during the middle period. The first came after Reimer accidentally played a rebound in the direction of Jake Guentzel, who immediately fired a point-blank shot on goal.

Reimer – while in the process of regaining his balance outside the crease – tracked Guentzel’s shot and snagged it with his glove.

Later in the period, at the conclusion of a Tampa Bay power play, Reimer stopped a Brandon Hagel one-timer from the slot with his left arm.

“Honestly, he’s about to turn into dust with how hold he is, so I’m surprised that we’re getting [this level of play],” said Zucker, who at 33 is four years younger than Reimer and the second-oldest member of the Sabres. “It’s been fun to see. He’s a heck of a guy, he’s a hell of a teammate, had an amazing career and he’s showing why right now.”

4. Tuch positioned himself in front of Johansson and got a piece of Dahlin’s rebound before Zucker pushed it past the Lightning goaltender for the tying goal. The assist extended Tuch’s point streak to five games and was his 10th point in the last seven contests.

5. Tuch improved to 8-for-14 (57.1 percent) in the shootout as a member of the Sabres, the highest success rate among players with at least 10 attempts for Buffalo. Quinn, meanwhile, improved to 5-for-8 (62.5 percent) in his young career.

Up next

The Sabres conclude the back-to-back set at home against Boston on Sunday. Tickets are available here.

Coverage on MSG begins at 5:30 p.m. with puck drop scheduled for 6.