Tampa, Fla. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - One of the best goaltenders in the National Hockey League gave the Buffalo Sabres a gift on Thursday, as Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy gave up five goals.
However, the Lightning managed to recover from a 5-3 second-period deficit to beat the Sabres, 6-5.
Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff was pretty frank about it after the game. He felt they needed a save, and they certainly didn’t get that from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. He simply hasn’t been good enough since the break.
The first two goals by Nick Paul and Darren Raddysh went in off the sticks of Sabres defensemen, but the Lightning went about 10 minutes without a shot and Buffalo took the lead, 3-2.
Rasmus Dahlin and Alex Tuch both led 2-on-1 rushes, and both shot the puck, beating Vasilevskiy. Then before the period was over, Ryan McLeod came down the left wing side and found Peyton Krebs in the middle of the ice for his first goal since Dec. 29, covering 23 games.
Jake Guentzel scored 58 seconds into the second period thanks to an extremely poor effort by Tage Thompson, just letting him go on the backcheck.
Thompson made up for it on the power play unleashing a wrist shot from the top of the circle that Vasilevskiy didn’t see, because he was screened by his own defenseman, Erik Cernak.
Peterka stole the puck from Nikita Kucherov and ripped one under the crossbar, and it was 5-3, Sabres.
Guentzel then scored twice in 57 seconds to complete his hat-trick, and tie the game at 5-5 going into the third period.
Buffalo did have 1:54 of a 6-on-4 to finish the game, but couldn't push the tying goal past Vasilevskiy. They had a 6-on-3 for the final 17 seconds, but Thompson’s final shot attempt was blocked by a desperate Cernak.
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Buffalo has now lost five-straight games when they’re supposed to be getting seven points every five games.
This is just another game that a good team would not lose. It fits this team.
The NHL Trade Deadline is Friday at 3 p.m. The Sabres will practice at 2 p.m. in Fort Lauderdale.