Special teams the difference Sunday in Buffalo

With the Atlantic Division lead up for grabs on Sunday in Buffalo, the Lightning overcame two separate three-goal deficits but ultimately lost due to an off night on special teams.

Physicality was featured by both benches from the opening faceoff as the teams combined for 100 penalty minutes, and the Sabres took advantage to grab leads of 3-0 and then 4-1.

Tampa Bay scored five straight goals to take a 5-4 lead, but Buffalo again responded before winning the game with 4:17 remaining on Josh Doan’s second power-play goal of the game. 

The Sabres scored four power-play goals and one while shorthanded in the 8-7 game.

“The bottom line is we gave up five special team goals,” Cooper said. “We gave up four power-play goals and a shorty. That was the game…The fact that we gave up those special team goals, that’s the part I’m a little irked about, so we have to shore that up, for sure.”

Despite the Lightning killing off a two-minute 5-on-3 chance for the Sabres in the first period, another look on the man advantage gave Buffalo the lead.

Doan opened the scoring, skating along the goal line before slipping a shot nearside past the left post 8:26 into the game. The Sabres then claimed a 3-0 lead with power-play goals 2:55 apart from Jason Zucker and Alex Tuch in the second period.

Perry got Tampa Bay going 7:55 into the middle frame, sneaking to the net after a pass by Kucherov and roofing a shot past Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen for Perry’s second goal in as many games.

Perry became the third player in team history to score in each of their next two games with the team after being acquired in a trade, joining Anthony Duclair (March 2024) and Chris Joseph (November 1993).

Despite Alex Tuch scoring on a shorthanded breakaway to give the Sabres another three-goal lead, Tampa Bay stormed back to tie the game before the end of the second period.

“I think it’s a playoff game. Obviously there’s a lot of things we can tidy up, but I think we got better as a team today in some different aspects,” Hagel said. “We came together as one. This is the type of team I want in this dressing room. Obviously eight goals, that’s easy to clean up for us. But I think all of us can leave here knowing we have a good team in here.”

Kucherov started the comeback on the power play, sending a shot from the top of the setup that deflected in off a Sabres’ skate near the net with 7:34 left in the second frame. Former Sabre Zemgus Girgensons cut the deficit to 4-3, firing a shot into the top right corner of the net from the left hashmark.

Defenseman JJ Moser tied the score with 2:23 left in the second, shooting from the hashmarks following a takeaway and setup by forward Conor Geekie.

“The way we played, the attitude we played with,” Moser said of what made the comeback possible. “It was just the trust we had that if we do enough of the right little things that eventually it’s going to turn around. It’s just that patience and that trust in our game that eventually we’re going to get the bounces we need.”

The Lightning took advantage of the momentum, taking their first lead of the night just 59 seconds into the third period on a one-timer by Kucherov in the right circle that made it 5-4.

Buffalo then put the puck in their own net after Brayden Point put his stick on a chance in the slot for a 6-4 Lightning lead, and the Sabres got a goal from Sam Carrick to stop the Lightning scoring onslaught 26 seconds later.

Hagel’s 30th goal of the season made it 7-5 for Tampa Bay, but Buffalo captain Rasmus Dahlin scored on a deke-and-shoot move near the net and Zucker got loose for a breakaway goal to tie the game 7-7.

Doan buried a rebound off the goalpost late for the game-winning goal on the power play with under five minutes remaining.

“Obviously we’ve been the kind of team that’s done that all year (come back) and the kind of team that’s finished it. Those are things we can clean up. We’ve obviously got to be better, eight goals is unacceptable,” Hagel said. 

“I think every guy in this dressing room can say the same, I think every guy on their side can say the exact same thing, too. You don’t see these every day, but one thing we can learn from this is we know we’ve got a team, a big group of one in here and everyone will stick up for each other. We have a really good hockey team and we’ve just got to get better, clean it up.”

Kucherov joined Moser and Darren Raddysh with three-point nights to lead the Lightning on offense.

Benjamin’s Three Stars:

Josh Doan, BUF (2 goals, game-winning goal)
Tage Thompson, BUF (4 assists)
JJ Moser, TBL (Goal, 2 assists)