Game #4: Tampa Bay Lightning (1-2-0) @ Buffalo Sabres (0-2-0)
Time: 7:30 pm ET
Location: Key Bank Arena
Broadcast/Streaming: ESPN
Opponent’s Site: Die by the Blade
Welcome to a game two Atlantic Division teams would really, really like to win. As we are quite aware, the Tampa Bay Lightning are coming off a tough weekend where turnovers turned into goals and they dropped winnable games against Detroit and Ottawa. They enter tonight’s game with at least one thing the Sabres don’t have – a win.
Picked by many as a dark horse team that can challenge perennial division heavyweights Tampa Bay, Toronto, Florida, and Boston, Buffalo has stumbled out of the gate with losses to the Rangers and Islanders. Their big guns have yet to get going as Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, and Dylan Cozens, who combined for 114 goals last season, have yet to record a single, solitary goal through two games.
Devon Levi, the padawan goaltender who impressed after his call-up last season is 0-2 with a 3.55 GA and .881 SV% while sporting a -0.94 GSAx. So, he’s been slightly below average AND not receiving any goal support. That’s usually a formula for a losing streak.
While the Lightning have been scoring goals, they’ve also been allowing them at a league-worst rate. Turnovers have been the cause of much of their problems while their temporary Goaltending solution hasn’t helped bail them out despite solid play for the most part.
The Bolts are likely to be without Steven Stamkos for the second straight game and is “day-to-day” per his coach, so they will be relying on a team effort to help replace the offense. Anthony Cirelli and Tanner Jeannot found the goal sheet last time out, and it would be beneficial if they kept that up to close out this trip.
One veteran who does appear to be returning to the line-up is Zach Bogosian. The defenseman was skating in place of Calvin de Haan in practice and appears set to make his season debut.
Forwards
Brandon Hagel – Brayden Point – Nikita Kucherov
Mikey Eyssimont – Anthony Cirelli – Tanner Jeannot
Alex Barre-Boulet – Nick Paul – Conor Sheary
Austin Watson– Luke Glendening – Walterri Merela
Defense
Victor Hedman – Erik Cernak
Mikhail Sergachev – Darren Raddysh
Zach Bogosian – Nick Perbix
Goaltender
Jonas Johansson
Matt Tomkins
Buffalo Sabres Potential Lines
Forwards
Jeff Skinner – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch
JJ Perterka – Dylan Cozins – Peyton Krebs
Jordan Greenway – Casey Mittelstadt – Zach Benson
Zemgus Girgensons – Tyson Jost – Kyle Okposo
Defense
Rasmus Dahlin – Mattias Samuelsson
Owen Power – Henri Jokiharji
Connor Clifton – Erik Johnson
Goaltender
Devon Levi
Eric Comrie
