Game Eighty: Buffalo Sabres (35-37-7) at Tampa Bay Lightning (45-26-8)
Time: 6:00 PM EST
Location: Amalie Arena, Tampa
TV/Stream/Radio: FDSNSUN, MSG-B, ESPN+, 102.5 FM, Lightning App
Odds: Lightning -278
Know the Opponents: Die By the Blade
Story Lines and Notes
Whelp. It’s funny how fast things change. After writing up a preview last night based on the information we had at the time, we had to scrap it once word trickled out from the morning skate. We knew Luke Glendening was out. We didn’t know Oliver Bjorkstrand would be as well. That led to a Conor Geekie recall and a massive juggling of the lines (see below).
Congratulations to the Tampa Bay Lightning for making the end of the season a little more dramatic than it needs to be. With their chances of the division title fading (but not fully eliminated yet*) they’re taking on a Buffalo Sabres team that beat them on the road, and they’re doing it with a depleted roster.
If there is any consolation, the Lightning tend to play their best when challenged, so perhaps the recent roster hardships will bring out a spirited effort tonight against a Sabres team that played, and lost in a shootout, Saturday night. This is the third straight opponent that is facing the Lightning on zero days rest, something that you don’t see very often. So far, the Bolts have left a couple of points on the table against the Maple Leafs and Red Wings, so it would be nice if they complete the trifecta with a regulation victory.
Not only would that keep them in the hunt for the division title, it would help stave off the Panthers for home-ice advantage in the first-round should the Bolts not catch the Maple Leafs. The Lightning also need a solid 60-minute effort, something that we haven’t seen in a few outings.
Jonas Johansson was the first off of the ice for the morning skate, so he’ll get another crack at one of his former teams. He was fantastic against them last Saturday, stopping 36-of-38 shots in the 3-2 shootout loss.
*Toronto can clinch with any type of win coupled with any type of Lightning loss, or if they pick up one point and the Lightning lose in regulation.
Potential Lines
Tampa Bay Lightning
Forwards:
| Yanni Gourde | Brayden Point | Nikita Kucherov |
| Brandon Hagel | Anthony Cirelli | Jake Guentzel |
| Gage Goncalves | Nick Paul | Conor Geekie |
| Zemgus Girgensons | Mitchell Chaffe |
Defense:
| Victor Hedman | J.J. Moser |
| Ryan McDonagh | Erik Cernak |
| Emil Lilleberg | Darren Raddysh/Nick Perbix |
Goaltenders:
| Jonas Johansson |
| Andrei Vasilevskiy |
Buffalo Sabres
Forwards:
| Zach Benson | Jiri Kulich | Tage Thompson |
| JJ Peterka | Ryan McLeod | Jack Quinn |
| Jason Zucker | Peyton Krebs | Alex Tuch |
| Beck Malenstyn | Noah Ostlund | Sam Lefferty |
Defense:
| Mattias Samuelsson | Rasums Dahlin |
| Owen Power | Jacob Bernard-Docker |
| Bowen Byram | Connor Clifton |
Goaltenders:
| James Reimer |
| Ukko-Pekka Luukonen |
