The Buffalo Sabres fell 7-4 to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday night, closing out their road schedule.
Buffalo (35-38-7) grabbed a late lead in the first period with goals from Jiri Kulich and Connor Clifton just 15 seconds apart. Kulich’s was his 15th of the season, while Clifton’s was his first. Despite the momentum, the Sabres gave up four goals in the second period and couldn’t recover. They finish the season 13-24-4 on the road.
James Reimer got the start in net and made 24 saves on 31 shots. Owen Power missed his first game of the season due to a lower-body injury, with Jacob Bryson stepping in and logging 15:40 of ice time.
Alex Tuch tipped in a power-play goal in the third, and Sam Lafferty added a late tally off a perfect stretch pass from Rasmus Dahlin, who registered his 50th and 51st assists for a third straight multi-point outing.
Tampa Bay’s offense was led by Nikita Kucherov and Jake Guentzel, who each scored twice. Six Lightning players recorded multi-point games, and Jonas Johansson stopped 21-of-25 shots in goal.
The Sabres return home to wrap up the season with a two-game homestand starting Tuesday against the Maple Leafs at 7 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].