Lightning 4, Sabres 1
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning received contributions from four different goal scorers on their way to a 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres Saturday afternoon.
Right winger Nikita Kucherov, center Steven Stamkos, right winger Erik Condra and right winger J.T. Brown scored for the Lightning (2-0-0). Goalie Ben Bishop made 24 saves.
Left winger Nicolas Deslauriers scored for the Sabres (0-2-0). Goalie Chad Johnson made 25 saves. Johnson got the start in net for Buffalo with goalie Robin Lehner (lower body) on injured reserve.
Condra opened the scoring 8:14 into the second period following a routine faceoff win in the Buffalo zone. The right winger curled inside the left point and lifted a high wrist shot through traffic to give Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead.
Deslauriers evened the score just under six minutes later by tucking a backhand shot inside the far post from close range. The rebound opportunity came following a shot by defenseman Josh Gorges from inside the left circle.
Kucherov restored Tampa Bay's lead just before the end of the second period with a rifle of a shot on the power play. With Tampa Bay turning up the pressure, Kucherov fired a hard wrist shot high to the glove side. The Lightning power play came after the Sabres were penalized for having too many men on the ice.
Stamkos made it 3-1 from close range 8:53 into the third period. Right winger Ryan Callahan found Stamkos all alone in front of the Sabres net and the Tampa Bay captain had an easy tap-in for his first goal of the season.
Brown made it 4-1 with 7:19 remaining on a deflection. Brown tipped a blast from the point from defenseman Jason Garrison.
Lightning center Tyler Johnson left the game due to a lower-body injury 2:43 into the third period. Johnson was injured following a hit along the boards from Sabres left winger Evander Kane.
NOTES: RW Brian Gionta and D Matt Donovan were scratched for the Sabres. Gionta is out with a lower-body injury but is considered day-to-day. ... C Cedric Paquette and D Nikita Nesterov were scratched for the Lightning. ... Prior to the game, Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma had no update regarding the status of goalie Robin Lehner. Lehner suffered a lower-body injury against Ottawa on Thursday and was placed on injured reserve Saturday. He was scheduled to receive an MRI Saturday. ... With Lehner out, the Sabres recalled G Nathan Lieuwen from the Rochester Americans. Lieuwen played in seven games for Buffalo during the 2013-14 season, posting a 1-4 record.