Sabres weather the storm, defeat Lightning 8-7 in thriller

Photo courtesy of Editor In Chief Brooke Klugewicz

Last weekend, an “instant classic” was held on Mar. 8 between the Buffalo Sabres and Tampa Bay Lightning. In a game that featured five fights, 15 goals, and 102 total penalty minutes, the Sabres outlasted a gritty Lightning team 8-7 and,as of Mar. 9, currently stand as the top team in the Atlantic Division of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Both teams had considerable momentum going into the Sunday afternoon clash, having both played games the day prior to (Mar. 7); the Sabres had just survived a close 3-2 game against the Nashville Predators, and the Lightning came back from an early 1-0 deficit to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2. The last time these two teams played each other, the Sabres defeated the Lightning in a 6-2 blowout in Tampa Bay. Both teams knew what was at stake, and the sellout crowd in Buffalo knew it as well.

According to NHL.com, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff, commenting on the physical nature of the game, stated that his players had “their faces a little swollen, a couple little scrapes,” further commenting that it was “my kind of hockey.” The violence started early, when Lightning left-winger Brandon Hagel and center Anthony Cirelli were swarmed by the Sabres following a late hit on star center Tage Thompson. Hagel continuously got into altercations over the course of the game, even incurring a 5,000-dollar fine for an attack on Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. It was not an uncommon occurrence to see four players in each team’s penalty box.

Perhaps the most explosive aspect of this game, however, was the huge swings in momentum and comebacks by both teams. After three power-play goals, resulting in a 3-0 lead for the Sabres, the Lightning rallied back with four of their own, ending the second period tied up with both teams having four goals. Going into the third period, it seemed as if the Sabres were going to choke the game away, with Lightning right-winger Nikita Kucherov and center Brayden Point scoring, bringing the score to 6-4. But just when they looked out, the Sabres were able to pull off a comeback of their own.

In his second game in a Buffalo jersey, center Sam Carrick (acquired from the New York Rangers) scored his first goal with the team, though it was quickly answered with one from Hagel, making it a 7-5 game with 10:12 left to play. It was after this that the Sabres came alive and quickly tied up the game after goals from Dahlin and left-winger Jason Zucker. And with 4:17 left on the clock, right-winger Josh Doan pushed the game-winning goal into the net, defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning and taking the top spot in the Atlantic Division.

Josh Doan, Jason Zucker, and right-winger Alex Tuch finished the game with two goals, with Dahlin having one of his own. Tage Thompson also had four assists on the day, extending his points-per-game streak to 11, the longest by a Sabre since Jack Eichel during the 2019-2020 season. Further, goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen had 21 saves for 28 shots on goal, with coach Lindy Ruff keeping him in the game, showing his faith in his players having the capability to get the job done.

The Buffalo Sabres, now comfortably in a playoff spot, hold their future in their hands as they continue on their recent winning streak, with the end goal of finally bringing a playoff series to the city of Buffalo, a passionate hockey town that has waited since 2011 for their team to return to Stanley Cup contendership.