First Place Showdown in Buffalo

Graphic Credit: Mike Smith | Thunderstruck Sports

By Dan Herrejon | Thunderstruck Sports

A little less than a month ago, the Tampa Bay Lightning met the Buffalo Sabres in a game that became an instant NHL classic. An 8 - 7 win by Buffalo gave them the lead in the Atlantic Division. Today, the Lightning have wrested back that division lead, but with 102 points, they hold a slim 2-point lead over both the Sabres and the Montreal Canadiens as the regular season winds down to the final handful of games.

The Lightning are without two of their offensive stalwarts - Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli are sitting this one out. Their captain, Victor Hedman, also remains out, so the rest of the team needs to pick up the slack.

Andrei Vasilevskiy for Tampa and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen for Buffalo are the starting goalies. Everyone is expecting another classic game tonight.

Off To The Races

The first five minutes were played at top speed. More than the chippy bruising game a month ago, each team was whistled for a holding-the-stick penalty. Buffalo was on the power play first and mustered one shot. The Lightning were able to get two shots on their power play.

After both penalties were killed, Alex Tuch snapped the puck past Vasilevskiy to open the scoring. Now, the chippiness from the March game started rearing its ugly head. One thing is for sure: these two clubs are building up a good, nice hate for each other. Should they meet in the postseason, that hatred will only increase.

The Sabres gave the Lightning a power play, and they paid the price. Nikita Kucherov, in a close race for most points this season, smacked a one-timer past Luukkonen to tie the game at one.

The Lightning didn't have a chance to settle in. A little over two minutes after Kucherov's goal, Josh Norris snapped a wrister past Vasilevskiy to give the Sabres a one-goal lead at 2 -1.

On a two-on-one breakaway, Kucherov and Brayden Point were looking to tie the game at two. As Point dug in towards the Buffalo net, he was slammed into the goalie and hit the goal post hard. He went into the locker room to be checked out. The first period ended with Buffalo holding that 2 - 1 lead.

Middle Frame, More of the Same

Coming back on the ice for the start of the second period, Lightning fans breathed a collective sigh of relief as Point came out with the team and took his shifts. On his second shift of the period, Point laid a brilliant pass on the tape of Jake Guentzel's stick, who snapped a shot past Luukkonen to tie the game at two.

Buffalo responded again quickly to recapture their one-goal lead and keep the Lightning on their heels. Bowen Byram blasted a shot from the Point that Jason Zucker tipped past Vasilevskiy to make it 3 -2 Buffalo. And that's how the middle frame ended.

Clash of the Titans

Twenty minutes left to decide the winner for these two top teams in the Eastern Conference. Need to give both teams credit. The Bolts had the ice tilted in their favor and had more shots and a couple of grade-AA scoring chances to tie the game.

Buffalo's defense held firm. They bent but didn't break. With two minutes, Coach Jon Cooper pulled Vasilevskiy, and unfortunately, it led to an empty-netter by Jack Quinn to give the Sabres a 4 -2 lead. With the win, the Sabres and Lightning each have 102 points. The Lightning have one game in hand.

Three Stars

1. Jake Guentzel - 1 goal and 1 assist

2. Nikita Kuchrov - 1 goal

3. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen - 23 saves on 25 shots, allowing only an even-strength goal.

What's Next

No rest for the weary. Tomorrow night, the boys are in Ottawa to face the Senators. Puck drops at 7:00 pm.