Nuts and Bolts: Lightning look to slow down the Sabres

The Bolts close out a five-game homestand on Thursday night against the Sabres.
Tampa Bay will have their hands full with Buffalo who come in having won 10 straight games. That streak includes a 2-1 win over the Bolts in Buffalo back on Oct. 13

Lines from Thursday's morning skate. Subject to change.
Forwards
Yanni Gourde - Steven Stamkos - Mathieu Joseph
Tyler Johnson - Brayden Point - Nikita Kucherov
Alex Killorn - Anthony Cirelli - J.T. Miller
Ondrej Palat - Cedric Paquette - Ryan Callahan
Defensemen
Victor Hedman - Dan Girardi
Ryan McDonagh - Erik Cernak
Braydon Coburn - Mikhail Sergachev
Slater Koekkoek -
Goaltenders
Louis Domingue expected to start
Thursday's Matchup
The Lightning and the Sabres are playing their second of four meetings this season (also: Jan. 12 at BUF and Feb. 21 vs. BUF) and the first of two at AMALIE Arena...Buffalo defeated Tampa Bay 2-1 on Nov. 13 at KeyBank Center, Anthony Cirelli scoring the Bolts' lone goal at 5:58 of the second period after Buffalo netted the game's first two goals...Louis Domingue stopped 17-of-19 shots in the loss, the 19 shots by the Sabres the fewest allowed by the Lightning this season...Tampa Bay is on a four-game home point streak versus Buffalo, going 3-0-1 over that stretch...The Lightning are 7-1-1 at home versus Buffalo since the start of the 2014-15 season...The Bolts are 16-4-2 overall against Buffalo since the start of the 2013-14 season...Nikita Kucherov has recorded points in nine of his last 10 games vs. BUF (4-7--11)...Yanni Gourde has points in four-straight games vs. BUF (2-4--6)...Tyler Johnson has more career assists vs. BUF (12) than he does against any other NHL team...Anthony Cirelli has scored three of his nine career goals against BUF (the only team he's recorded multiple goals against), all three goals coming in the last two meetings...Alex Killorn has tallied four assists over the last two games vs. BUF.
Thursday's Storylines
The Lightning trail the Sabres by one point for first place overall in the NHL standings...Tampa Bay's plus-22 goal differential is tied for second best in the NHL (1st: TOR, +24)...Tampa Bay paces the league for goals (92) and ranks second for goals per game (3.68) behind Colorado (3.71)...The Lightning have scored four or more goals 15 times this season...Over the last two seasons, no team in the league has scored more goals (382) than the Lightning (2nd: TOR - 358)...The Bolts have scored 31 goals in the first period this season, tied with San Jose for the most first-period goals in the NHL.
Injuries
2018-19 Man Games Lost: 46
Current injuries
Ondrej Palat (Lower Body; Day-to-Day) 16 Games
Anton Stralman (Upper Body; Day-to-Day) 9 Games
Andrei Vasilevskiy (Left Foot Fracture; Out 4-6 Weeks) 7 Games
Parking Info
As our partners at Water Street Tampa continue to develop the 60 contiguous acres in the neighborhood surrounding AMALIE Arena, we ask for your patience and consideration when planning your visit to cheer on the Lightning or enjoy a concert, event or family show. We are pleased to report that the development project is well underway with a hotel and USF Health's Morsani College of Medicine in the midst of construction while we expect to see groundbreakings on several other projects during the 2018-19 season. Roadways are being realigned, traffic patterns are changing and new transportation options are emerging - all with a vision of creating a more user-friendly environment in the blocks surrounding AMALIE Arena.
As you plan your trip downtown, we aim to keep you informed of these new developments, offering you all you need to know about arriving at AMALIE safe and on time for your game or event.
Visit
TampaBayLightning.com/parking
for more information.
Tampa Bay Sports Item of the Game
Lightning Santa Chimney Bobble
Whether you're looking for traditional Lightning Christmas ornaments or unique holiday items like this Lightning Santa Chimney Bobble, check out the entire collection in store or visit TampaBaySports.com.
Guest Chef at Firestick Grill

Gidget Wickham is the Executive Chef at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and will be hosting a special meal at Firestick Grill prior to Thursday's game
The menu will include:
-Boneless Barbeque Short Ribs with Slaw
-Seared Shrimp Wrapped Scallop with Slaw
-Astronaut Chocolate Chip Cookies
For reservations,
click here
.
The Road Ahead
Saturday, Dec. 1 at Florida Panthers
Monday, Dec. 3 at New Jersey Devils
Tuesday, Dec. 4 at Detroit Red Wings