BUFFALO, NY - The Buffalo Sabres and Tampa Bay Lightning each enter Sunday night's contest with 82 points and are tied for the Atlantic Division lead. Buffalo has also won six straight games going into tonight's meeting with the Lightning.
A hit from behind on Tage Thompson in the offensive zone ignited a series of fights between the Sabres and Lightning players in the opening period. Brandon Hagel received the intial penalty for boarding. However, Darren Raddysh and Rasmus Dahlin each received five minute majors for fighting.
The Sabres would score on the insuing power play for a 1-0 lead over the visitors. Josh Doan's 20th goal of the season came off of an offensive zone face-off win on the man advantage.
Tage Thompson and Bowen Byram were credited with the assists on the game's first goal.
The fights continued after the goal, with one of the newest Sabres Sam Carrick dropping the gloves with Scott Sabourin.
Peyton Krebs also received a fighting Hagel while Byram and Charle-Edouard D'Astous also fought and received 10 minute misconducts. The first period featured 70 penalty minutes before the intermission.
The second period picked up right where the first left off. There were two more fights just six seconds into the period, including Michael Kesselring and Erik Cernak.
However, a pair of power play goals minutes later ballooned Buffalo's lead to 3-0 over the Lightning just over five minutes into the second period. Jason Zucker scored first after a pass from Rasmus Dahlin that created an open-net opportunity.
Hagel took a double-minor for roughing when he repeatedly punched Dahlin who did not want to fight. Tage Thompson once again helped create a power play goal
Alex Tuch's tip on the Thompson shot made it a three-goal lead. It was also Thompson's third point of the game.
Corey Perry was able to get Tampa Bay on the scoreboard with his 13th goal of the season. Nikita Kucherov made the pass to Perry that helped create the scoring chance and cut Buffalo's lead to 3-1.
The two teams traded special teams goals after Owen Power was called for high-sticking. Tuch scored his second goal of the game after skating around a Tampa Bay defender to score shorthanded.
Byram was credited with the lone assist. The Sabres lead was extended back to three goals, 4-1.
The Lightning scored twice in just over two minutes to draw within a goal in the middle period. Kucherov recorded his second point of the night after fanning on a shot from the slot. The puck hit off of a pair of players and ended up in the net to trim the deficit to 4-2. Then, former Sabre Zemgus Girgensons recorded his eighth goal of the year. The goal made it 4-3 in favor of Buffalo.
Goal Summary
First Period
BUF: 8:26 - Josh Doan (20) PPG (Tage Thompson, Bowen Byram)
TBL: NONE
Second Period
BUF:
TBL:
Third Period
BUF:
TBL:
