The "gauntlet" that is the current road trip for the Buffalo Sabres continued on in Tampa Bay on Sunday night, and the Lightning dispatched the blue and gold by way of a 5-0 shutout final. Noted Sabres killer Brian Elliott tallied his fifth-career shutout against Buffalo.
A pair of goals were scored in the first period, and both belonged to Tampa Bay. Just seventeen-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 after 20-minutes.
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 campaign to further cushion the goaltending of Elliott, who put the finishing touches on his 43rd-career clean sheet.
Losi and Gangi Three Stars of the Game:
1.) Brian Elliott - TBL
2.) Ondrej Palat - TBL
3.) Ryan McDonagh - TBL
What's Next:
The blue and gold head north of the border to visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night, April 12. Puck drop inside Scotiabank Arena is set for 7 p.m. EST, and pregame with Mike Schopp and the Bulldog starts at 6 p.m. EST.
