Lightning begin life without Stamkos with victory
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Alex Killorn had a goal and an assist as the Tampa Bay Lightning began life without captain Steven Stamkos with a 4-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.
Nikita Nesterov, Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point also scored for Tampa Bay (11-6-1), who were playing without Stamkos for the first time since he suffered a knee injury Tuesday. The team announced during the game that Stamkos is expected to miss four months after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus.
Ben Bishop made 32 saves for Tampa Bay.
Cody Franson scored for Buffalo (5-8-4). Robin Lehner made 34 saves.
Nesterov opened the scoring 8:15 into the game following a terrific setup by center Valtteri Filppula. Filppula made a hard cut toward the middle of the ice, avoiding two nearby Sabres before finding Nesterov open inside the left circle. Nesterov buried a one-timer for his second goal of the year.
Killorn made it 2-0 at 7:39 of the second off another excellent feed by Filppula. With Sabres right winger Kyle Okposo in the penalty box, the Lightning raced up ice on a 4-on-2 rush.
Using a similar move to his first assist, Filppula swiftly skated around Sabres defenseman Jake McCabe before finding Killorn alone in the left circle. Killorn finished the play for his seventh goal of the year.
The Sabres got on the board with 7:10 remaining in the second with a power-play goal of their own. After a deflected pass bounced off the end boards, Franson buried a one-timer from the right circle to make it 2-1. It was Franson's first goal of the year, and the first goal by any Sabres defenseman this season.
Kucherov snuffed any Sabres momentum just before the end of the second period on his ninth goal of the year -- and fourth in three games. With 17.5 seconds remaining in the period, Kucherov's long shot made it through traffic to give Tampa Bay a 3-1 lead.
Point made it 4-1 with a power-play goal from close range with two minutes remaining.
NOTES: D Anton Stralman (upper body) and D Luke Witkowski were scratched for Tampa Bay. ... C Ryan O'Reilly (middle body), D Dmitry Kulikov (middle body) and D Zach Bogosian (MCL sprain) were scratched for the Sabres. ... The Sabres recalled D Taylor Fedun from the AHL's Rochester Americans. In 14 games for the Americans this season, Fedun is second in AHL defensemen in assists (10) and fourth in points (12). Buffalo assigned D Casey Nelson to Rochester on Wednesday. ... This was the first of four meetings between the two teams this season. Their next meeting is Jan. 12 in Tampa.