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Buffalo Sabres at Tampa Bay Lightning: GAME# 12
Time: 7:00 pm Eastern Time
Location: Amalie Arena
Broadcast/Streaming: BSSUNX, MSG-B
Opponent SBNation Site: Die By The Blade
DraftKings Line: Lightning -1.5 O/U 6.5
Preview:
The Tampa Bay Lightning’s winning streak ended after a shootout loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, but their point streak still continues. Tonight the Lightning will look to rebound in a game against the Buffalo Sabres.
A good sign for the Bolts is that after missing two previous games, Victor Hedman might be ready to return to the lineup. Yesterday he appeared on morning practice alongside with Erik Cernak. That doesn’t, however, mean that the Lightning will be in an optimal lineup against the Sabres, as Nick Paul, who barely played in the second half of the game against the Hurricanes, left the yesterday’s practice early. In his absence, Vlad Namestnikov moved to his spot at second line and the team continued practicing with 11 forwards. If the Paul isn’t available tonight, the Lightning will likely run a 11/7 lineup.
#Bolts lines and D-pairings with 11 forwards at practice:
— Chris Krenn (@Chris_Krenn) November 4, 2022
Hagel-Point-Kucherov
Namestnikov-Stamkos-Killorn
Maroon-Bellemare-Perry
Koepke-Colton
Hedman-Cernak
Sergachev-Perbix
Cole-Foote
Fleury-Myers
The return of Hedman should take off some workload from Mikhail Sergachev’s shoulders. During the absence of the Big Swede, Sergachev played more than 25 minutes per game, including over 29 minutes in the previous game against Carolina. The Russian defenseman, who signed a huge contract last summer, has already experienced an increased role on this team and it’s not only indicated by his higher ice time, but also by his stats. Sergachev currently has 10 points in 11 games, which is tied for the fourth most amongst all defensemen in the NHL.
The Buffalo Sabres enter the tonight’s game as one of the NHL leaders. It’s not a new thing for Buffalo, as that team tend to start the season strong and fall apart in the second half, failing to make the playoffs. We will see how the things turn out for them this time, but there’s a chance that this season is different for them. Statistically speaking, they’re comfortably above the water in both CF% and xGF%, their power play and goaltending are solid and only the penalty kill seems to be struggling a little bit.
Rasmus Dahlin took a big step forward this season and now leads the team with 15 points in 11 games. Tage Thompson is showing that his previous 38-goal season wasn’t just a deviation, but maybe his real level of talent. He currently has 14 points in 11 games and recorded a six-point game just one week ago. The rookies Owen Power, Jack Quinn and JJ Peterka have also been a great addition to the team this season.
Tampa Bay vs. Buffalo Comparison
| Game # 12 | Tampa Bay Lightning | Buffalo Sabres |
|---|---|---|
| Game # 12 | Tampa Bay Lightning | Buffalo Sabres |
| Overall Record | 6-4-1 | 7-4-0 |
| Home Record | 2-1-1 | 4-2-0 |
| Road Record | 4-3-0 | 3-2-0 |
| Goals For | 35 | 46 |
| Goals Against | 34 | 33 |
| xGF | 36.15 | 35.89 |
| xGA | 37.9 | 33.14 |
| PP% | 23.4% | 23.4% |
| PK% | 82.5% | 77.8% |
Tampa Bay Lightning
Forward Lines
Brandon Hagel - Braydon Point - Nikita Kucherov
Alex Killorn - Nick Paul (?) - Steven Stamkos
Ross Colton - Vlad Namestnikov - Cole Koepke
Pat Maroon - Pierre-Edouard Bellemare - Corey Perry
Defense Pairings
Victor Hedman - Erik Cernak
Mikhail Sergachev - Nick Perbix
Ian Cole - Cal Foote
Goaltenders
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Brian Elliott
Buffalo Sabres
Forward Lines
Jeff Skinner - Tage Thompson - Kyle Okposo
JJ Peterka - Dylan Cozens - Alex Tuch
Jack Quinn - Casey Mittelstadt - Victor Olofsson
Zemgus Girgensons - Peyton Krebs - Rasmus Asplund
Defense Pairings
Jacob Bryson - Rasmus Dahlin
Kale Clague - Owen Power
Lawrence Pilut - Casey Fitzgerald
Goaltenders
Craig Anderson
Eric Comrie