The "gauntlet" that is the current road trip for the Buffalo Sabres continued on in Tampa Bay on Sunday night against the Lightning. In the end, it was the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion dispatching the Sabres by way of a 5-0 shutout.
Noted Sabres killer Brian Elliott tallied his fifth-career shutout against Buffalo, stopping all 28 shots faced.
A pair of goals were scored in the first period, and both belonged to Tampa Bay. Just 17 seconds separated goals from veteran forwards Corey Perry and Ondrej Palat from the 9:21 to 9:38 marks to make it 2-0 Lightning.
The script remained the same in the second period of play. Already boasting a two-goal advantage, Tampa Bay cushioned their lead with two more goals. Forwards Brandon Hagel and Nikita Kucherov joined in on the fun with their 24th and 15th goals of the season, respectively.
Already leading 4-0, the Lightning chipped in one more for good measure in the third period. Forward Ross Colton potted his 16th of the season to further cushion Elliott's lead, as he put the finishing touches on his 43rd-career shutout.
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GAME RECAP
Scoring Summary:
First Period:
BUF: NONE
TBL: 9:21 - Corey Perry (17) (Zach Bogosian); 9:38 - Ondrej Palat (16) (Brayden Point)
Second Period:
BUF: NONE
TBL: 1:12 - Brandon Hagel (24) (Anthony Cirelli, Victor Hedman); 4:28 - Nikita Kucherov (15) (Ryan McDonagh, Ondrej Palat)
Third Period:
BUF: NONE
TBL: 2:09 - Ross Colton (16) (Steven Stamkos, Nick Paul)
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Penalty Summary:
First Period:
BUF: NONE
TBL: NONE
Second Period:
BUF: NONE
TBL: NONE
Third Period:
BUF: 7:15 - Mattias Samuelsson (Delay of game - 2 min.); 15:55 - Mattias Samuelsson (High sticking - 2 min.)
TBL: 9:31 - Mikhail Sergachev (Holding - 2 min.); 16:41 - Alex Killorn (High sticking - 2 min.)
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Losi and Gangi Three Stars of the Game:
1.) Brian Elliott - TBL
2.) Ondrej Palat - TBL
3.) Ryan McDonagh - TBL
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What's next:
The Sabres head north of the border to visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena. Faceoff is set for 7 p.m. ET with pregame coverage on WGR starting at 6 p.m. ET with Mike Schopp and the Bulldog.
