Sabres 4, Lightning 1
TAMPA -- After losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning three times in the first month of the season, the Buffalo Sabres got their revenge Tuesday, getting a 4-1 road win sparked by rookie center Jack Eichel at Amalie Arena.
Buffalo (7-8-0) picked up just its third road win of the season, while the Lightning (7-8-2) haven't been below .500 this late in the year since the 2012-13 season. The Lightning's scoring woes continue, with just 12 goals in the last nine games from the team that led the NHL in scoring last year and returned nearly intact this season.
The Lightning were within a goal for the first two periods, but the Sabres got separation early in the third when left winger Marcus Foligno got his first goal of the season -- the second Sabres player to do so on the night -- firing a shot that went past the glove of Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, who lost for the first time this season. The Lightning had to pull its goalie late for the eighth time this season, and Buffalo scored an empty-net goal from defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen -- with an assist to goalie Chad Johnson -- with 36 seconds left for the final score.
Johnson recorded 27 saves in improving to 3-6 on the season, the only goal he allowed coming on a power play in the second period. The Lightning continue a three-game homestand Thursday against the Calgary Flames, while Buffalo stays in Florida, playing the Florida Panthers on Thursday.
Buffalo, which lost three times to Tampa Bay in the first month of the season, came out as the aggressors early, outshooting the Lightning 11-5 in the opening period.
The Sabres converted their only power play of the first, getting a goal from Eichel -- his sixth in 15 games -- to beat Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy with 14:03 left in the period. The Lightning managed only five shots despite having two power plays in the first.
Tampa Bay got a spark early in the second, getting a power play 26 seconds in and converting 26 seconds later on a one-timer from center Steven Stamkos for his eighth goal of the season. Stamkos accepted a crossing pass from right winger Nikita Kucherov, who picked up his fourth assist.
The momentum was short-lived, however, as the Sabres took the lead back 48 seconds later when defenseman Cody Franson fired a long shot past Vasilevskiy for his first goal of the year, with Eichel and center Tyler Ennis getting assists.
That score would hold up for the rest of the second, with the Lightning outshooting the Sabres 13-8 but getting only the one goal out of three power-play opportunities. Johnson played well, with 17 saves entering the third.
NOTES: The Lightning played for the first time since losing LW Ondrej Palat to a lower-body injury that will sideline him for 3-5 weeks. Tampa Bay called up RW Mike Blunden from Syracuse. Blunden and D Nikita Nesterov, another recent call-up, were healthy scratches on Tuesday. ... Buffalo D Mike Weber and C Tim Schaller were healthy scratches. ... A quirk in the scheduling has the two teams playing four times in the first 15 games. Tampa Bay came in 10-1-1 in its last 12 games against the Sabres, including seven straight wins and four straight at home. ... The Lightning have been shut out three times in their first 17 games after being blanked only once last season.