In their penultimate game of the regular season on Monday, the Lightning came out flat and suffered a 4-2 home loss to Buffalo.
Steven Stamkos and Erik Cernak scored for Tampa Bay. Andrei Vasilevskiy got the start in goal and stopped 31 of 35 shots from the Sabres.
The Bolts will have one final regular season tune up at home against Toronto on Wednesday before the playoffs begin.
Scoring Summary
1st Period
BUF 1, TBL 0
1:26 Dylan Cozens (17) – Jack Quinn
The Bolts found themselves in an early hole after conceding the game-opening goal 86 seconds into the first. Jack Quinn’s initial shot from point-blank range was stopped by Andrei Vasilevskiy, but Dylan Cozens went unmarked on the near side of the ice and potted the rebound from a sharp angle.
2nd Period
BUF 1, TBL 1
2:27 Steven Stamkos (40) – Nikita Kucherov
In on the forecheck, Nikita Kucherov forced Rasmus Dahlin into a turnover in front of the Buffalo net. Kucherov quickly got the puck to Steven Stamkos, and he buried his 40th goal of the season to draw the Lightning level.
BUF 2, TBL 1
5:08 Dylan Cozens (18) – Jordan Greenway – SHG
The Lightning got sloppy with the puck in their own zone while trying to bring the puck up ice, and Buffalo made them pay with a shorthanded goal. Victor Hedman’s drop feed was poked away from Brayden Point by Jordan Greenway. Two Lightning skaters converged on Greenway as he circled the net, allowing him to set up Cozens for his second goal of the game.
BUF 3, TBL 1
16:12 Jordan Greenway (10) – Zemgus Girgensons, Tyson Jost
Vasilevskiy steered the rebound of a Zemgus Girgensons shot to the far side of the ice where Jordan Greenway was there to extend Buffalo’s lead to two.
3rd Period
BUF 3, TBL 2
9:39 Erik Cernak (2) – Nick Paul
The Bolts got themselves back within a goal midway through the second period on a one-timed blast from the point by Erik Cernak that beat Eric Comrie upstairs.
BUF 4, TBL 2
9:54 Zach Benson (11) – Jack Quinn
Just 15 seconds later, the Sabres responded to go back up by two. Zach Benson worked the puck away from Nick Perbix and fed Zach Benson at the near post for the goal.
