There were both positive and negative takeaways from this one.
First, the negative. The Lightning couldn’t hold onto a 2-1 third-period lead and ended up losing in overtime. Instead of a regulation win and two points, they had to settle for an OTL and one point. The lost point came against a team well behind them in the standings (although the Sabres have played quite well in recent weeks), and the defeat extended the Lightning’s home winless skid to four games (0-3-1).
Now, the positive. At least the Lightning did get one point out of this game. That’s certainly preferable to the regulation losses they suffered in the three other games during the home skid. And this was the fourth game in a row (excluding the third period against Philadelphia on Tuesday) in which the Lightning played a strong, overall game. They were especially good defensively. The Lightning played a structured, patient game. They didn’t sacrifice defense for offense and effectively limited opposition scoring chances.
Positive takeaways aside, this was a frustrating outcome for the Lightning. In a game that didn’t feature many scoring chances, the Lightning generated more of them. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen denied several Grade-A opportunities, including a remarkable glove save on Nikita Kucherov in the first period. The Lightning were on the wrong end of puck luck as well. After Luukkonen got a piece of the Kucherov shot, the puck deflected off the post and stayed out. In the second period, Victor Hedman missed wide on a one-timer when the net was open. And in the third, with the Lightning leading by a goal, Nick Paul’s wrist shot rang off the post.
Then there were the penalties. Brayden Point was called for a high stick on an unusual play. He was skating after a loose puck, and his stick clipped the Buffalo player pursuing him. Then in overtime, moments before Kucherov was whistled for a hook, the Sabres had an extra player jump off the bench and started to join the play. Although the player realized his mistake and immediately returned to the bench, the officials could have called the Sabres for having too many men on the ice. They elected not to. Soon after, the Sabres went on a four-on-three power play themselves and won the game.
So the result was a tough one to swallow for the Lightning. But they’ll bank their point and move on, looking to maintain their high standard of strong defensive play when they host Montreal on Saturday.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game (as selected by Phil Esposito):
- Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen — Sabres. 21 saves.
- Mitchell Chaffee — Lightning. Goal.
- Rasmus Dahlin — Sabres. GWG, assist.
