Tampa Bay Lightning Triumph Over Buffalo Sabres
In a thrilling finish on Tuesday night, the Tampa Bay Lightning edged out the Buffalo Sabres with a 4-3 victory, highlighted by Jake Guentzel’s decisive goal just 14 seconds into overtime. The game was set for an extra period thanks to Darren Raddysh, who leveled the score in regulation with a goal 26 seconds before the final buzzer.
Key Performances
Guentzel seized a long pass from Nikita Kucherov as he crossed into the Sabres zone, delivering a well-placed shot below the pad of Buffalo’s goaltender Colten Ellis to seal the Lightning’s fourth consecutive win.
Kucherov was a standout player for Tampa Bay, contributing significantly with a four-point night, which included one goal and three assists. Oliver Bjorkstrand also added to the scoresheet with a goal, while Raddysh compiled a goal and an assist. Guentzel additionally assisted Kucherov’s opening goal in the first period, while goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy kept the Sabres at bay with 23 saves throughout the match.
Sabres’ Strong Fight
The Sabres put up a strong fight with Mattias Samuelsson finding the net twice and Josh Doan scoring once, as Buffalo came into the game riding a wave of success, having won six of their last eight games, including a victory over Florida just a day prior. Ellis tallied an impressive 31 saves in the loss.
Game Highlights
The game commenced with both teams exchanging goals in the first period before a scoreless second led to a high-energy third period where both squads netted two goals each. After Samuelsson and Bjorkstrand started the scoring in the third, Doan put Buffalo ahead with a power-play goal with just over five minutes left. However, Tampa Bay capitalized on a power play in the dying seconds of regulation, ultimately setting the stage for Raddysh’s equalizer and the subsequent overtime thriller.
Injuries Impacting Teams
For this matchup, the Lightning were missing key players including centers Anthony Cirelli (injury) and Brayden Point (lower body), along with winger Nick Paul. Cirelli’s absence is particularly notable as he was also replaced on Canada’s Olympic roster.
The Sabres faced their own injury woes, missing Zach Benson, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, and Jordan Greenway, with Luukkonen’s injury affecting his participation in the upcoming Milan Cortina Games for Finland.
Upcoming Matches
Next, the Buffalo Sabres will host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, while the Lightning will face the Florida Panthers at home on the same night.
