ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (1-0-0): Tampa Bay received an overtime winner from a defenseman (Victor Hedman) to start the 2014-15 season and coach Jon Cooper told reporters afterward: “Hopefully this season carries on similarly”.
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Stamkos would notch his first goal of the season on his 499th career point when Ryan Callahan banked a pass from below the goal line off the post and right on to the stick of Stamkos at 8:53 for a 3-1 lead.
Nicolas Deslauriers had the lone goal for the Buffalo Sabres, but the offensive effort wasn’t quite enough to par up with that of the Lightning.
“I have not received the report on it this morning”, Bylsma said.
Buffalo Sabres left winger Matt Moulson (26) battles for a loose puck in front of Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop (30) during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, October 10, 2015, in Buffalo, New York Tampa Bay won 4-1.
“You’re playing a very good team, a team that probably people pick to be at the top of our conference at the end of the year”, coach Dan Bylsma said Saturday morning in First Niagara Center.
“First period we had the same exact play”, Callahan said.
Buffalo out-shot Tampa Bay 11-8 in the opening frame but managed just 14 shots on goal the final two periods. Off a faceoff to the right of Johnson, the Lightning wing put a rising wrist shot through the traffic and over the goalie’s right shoulder to make it 1-0.
Deslauriers evened things up with a backhander that eluded Bishop.
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The Lightning begin its three-game divisional road trip with a victory in Buffalo thanks to a strong second half that gave many of its regular contributors their first points of the season. Sam Reinhart and Josh Gorges picked up assists on the goal at 13:55. With Tampa Bay turning up the pressure, Kucherov fired a hard wrist shot high to the glove side. Johnson, who got tangled up behind the play with Eichel and Evander Kane, was slow to get up, favoring his left leg. But Johnson returned about four minutes later. Lehner suffered a lower-body injury against Ottawa on Thursday and was placed on injured reserve Saturday. Tampa Bay scratched Cedric Paquette, Andrei Vasilevskiy and Nikita Nesterov…. “Our last two games that’s when we’ve started to play, so we’re down two now”. Gionta is out with a lower-body injury but is considered day-to-day….
