At the Horn | Sabres 3 – Lightning 2 (SO)

The Buffalo Sabres beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 in a shootout Saturday at KeyBank Center.

Buffalo extended its winning streak to three games and improved to 11-2-0 in its last 13 at home.

Tage Thompson recorded his 40th goal of the season and Jason Zucker his 20th. Jack Quinn and Alex Tuch scored in the shootout.

James Reimer won his sixth straight start, making 22 saves – including four in overtime – and another two in the shootout.

Forward Noah Ostlund, Buffalo’s 16th-overall pick in 2022, skated 8:37 in his NHL debut.

Brayden Point and Gage Goncalves scored for the Lightning, while goalie Jonas Johansson stopped 36 of 38 shots.

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Period

Buffalo outshot Tampa Bay 9-2 in the scoreless period, with the Lightning’s first shot coming 14:12 into the game. Both teams came up empty on an early power play.

Second Period

Point opened the scoring 1:35 in, just moments after winning an offensive zone faceoff.

But Thompson answered three minutes later to tie the game 1-1. Zach Benson stole the puck from Nick Perbix in the left corner and passed into the slot for Thompson to bury No. 40.

Shortly after, Reimer, out of position after playing a loose puck, robbed Jake Guentzel with a reaching glove save.

The Lightning regained the lead at 13:01, when Goncalves snapped one past Reimer from the slot.

Reimer made another great save at the end of a late-period Lightning power play, stopping Brandon Hagel’s one-timer from in front.

Third Period

The Sabres were called for too many man on the ice to end the second period, but they killed the penalty to begin the third.

JJ Peterka drew a hooking call early in the period, and Zucker poked in a rebound at 5:06 to tie the game 2-2.

Buffalo led 13-5 in third-period shots, including a chance from Quinn alone in front with a minute remaining. Johansson made the save, though.

Overtime

Peterka was stopped on a breakaway midway through the 3-on-3 period, and on a follow-up attempt moments later. And as time expired, after Rasmus Dahlin had broken up a Tampa Bay rush the other way, Thompson just missed Peterka on a backdoor feed.

Both teams registered four shots on goal in overtime.

Shootout

Reimer made saves on Guentzel and Point, while Quinn and Tuch scored to win it for the Sabres.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

GAME PHOTOS

POSTGAME SOUND

UP NEXT

The Sabres are back at it Sunday night versus the Bruins. Tickets are available here.

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