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Despite leading the game with 30-19 shots on goal, the Lightning couldn't find the back of the net, and fall to Buffalo 2-1 as time expired on a scoreless third period.

The first 20 was marked by incredible saves by both goalies, but Jeff Skinner finally opened up the scoring for the Sabres with a quick flick off a deflection for a Buffalo goal.

TBL@BUF: Domingue denies Reinhart's wrister

Buffalo started the second period agressively and scored their second goal off the stick of Kyle Okposo.
Determined to make a statement, the Bolts caught the Sabres sleeping on the puck drop as Alex Killorn air-lifted a perfectly placed puck to Anthony Cirelli for a breakaway goal down the ice - only 15 seconds after Okposo's goal.
The Lightning kept the pressure on Sabres goalie Carter Hutton in the second with a 14-2 shot advantage, but were unable to put one in the net.

TBL@BUF: Killorn flips lob pass to Cirelli

Throughout the third period, the Sabres managed to hold the Bolts through multiple shot attempts. Trying to replicate their Ottawa overtime win two weekends ago
The end of the third was marked by frantic shot attempts by the Lightning as they took Louis Domingue off the ice for an extra skater to try and take the game to overtime.
Erik Cernak made sure to make a statement on his first NHL start with 17:06 minutes on the ice and 5 hits, contributing to the Lightning's total 33 hits, compared to Buffalo's 19.

TBL@BUF: Domingue rejects Skinner's point-blank try

The struggle to score was the theme of the night for the Lightning with shot and hit advantages as time expired. Buffalo 2, Lightning 1.
Scoring Summary
1st Period
BUF | 17:54: Jeff Skinner(13) - Sam Reinhart, Nathan Beaulieu
2nd Period
BUF | 5:43: Kyle Okposo(5) - Conor Sheary, Casey Mittelstadt
TBL | 5:43: Anthony Cirelli(3) - Alex Killorn, Yanni Gourde