The Buffalo Sabres (24-31-6) fell just short in a high-scoring battle against the Tampa Bay Lightning (37-21-4), losing 6-5 on Thursday night at Amalie Arena.
Despite overcoming early deficits and surging ahead 5-3 in the second period, Buffalo couldn’t hold off Tampa Bay’s rally, as three unanswered goals by the Lightning proved to be the difference. The Sabres have now gone five straight games without a win (0-4-1).
Rasmus Dahlin and JJ Peterka both recorded a goal and an assist, with Peterka setting a new career-best of 51 points (19 goals, 32 assists) this season. Alex Tuch continued his hot streak, netting his 24th goal of the season and eighth in his last nine games. Peyton Krebs and Tage Thompson also found the back of the net, while Ryan McLeod and Zach Benson each contributed two assists.
Goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 20 of the 26 shots he faced for Buffalo.
For Tampa Bay, Jake Guentzel led the charge with a hat trick, while Nick Paul (one goal, one assist), Darren Raddysh (one goal, one assist), Nikita Kucherov (two assists), and Brandon Hagel (two assists) all registered multi-point performances. Newly acquired forward Oliver Bjorkstrand made an immediate impact, scoring the game-winning goal in his first appearance with the Lightning.
Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, who had posted a stellar .950 save percentage over his last eight games, allowed five goals on 32 shots. However, the former Vezina Trophy winner stood tall in the final frame, stopping 12 shots to prevent Buffalo from completing a comeback.
Buffalo’s Jack Quinn played just four shifts before leaving due to illness, logging 2:25 of ice time before his final shift ended at 11:57 of the first period. Additionally, Jordan Greenway, who played 12:16 through two periods, did not return for the third due to illness.
The Sabres will be back in action on Saturday when they visit the Florida Panthers at 6 p.m.
[call-
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].