Tampa Bay Lightning Notes:
TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
The Lightning and the Sabres are playing the first of four matchups this season and the first of two meetings at KeyBank Center…The Bolts posted a 2-1-1 record vs. BUF last season, including a 1-1-0 mark in the two games at KeyBank Center…Brayden Point (5-4—9) led Tampa Bay in goals vs. BUF last season and was tied with Nikita Kucherov (1-8—9) for the team lead in points…Kucherov is riding a 13-game point streak vs. BUF (10-13—23) and has points in six straight contests at BUF (5-7—12)…Kucherov has points in 15 of his 16 career games at BUF (10-14—24) and has found the scoresheet in 22 of his last 23 contests vs. BUF overall (14-20—34)…Point is riding a six-game point streak vs. BUF (5-6—11) and has scored a goal in four consecutive matchups…Point has found the scoresheet in six of his last seven contests at BUF (4-3—7)…Steven Stamkos has picked up points in six straight games vs. BUF (4-7—11), along with 11 of the last 13 meetings (6-11—17)…Brandon Hagel has found the scoresheet in four of his five career games vs. BUF (3-4—7)…Anthony Cirelli has points in six of his last eight contests vs. BUF (3-5—8)…Nick Paul is riding a five-game point streak vs. BUF (1-4—5) and has recorded a point in each of his five games vs. BUF since being acquired by Tampa Bay in 2022…Victor Hedman has points in five of his last six contests vs. BUF (1-6—7)…The Lightning are 6-4-0 in their last 10 games at BUF and 7-2-1 in the last 10 meetings overall…The Bolts are 50-49-9 with five ties all time vs. BUF, including a road record of 26-25-3 with two ties… Tampa Bay has scored five or more goals in eight of their last 10 games vs. BUF (total: 47 goals)…The Lightning have scored a power-play goal in nine of their last 11 meetings with BUF…Stamkos (22-25—47) holds the Bolts franchise records for career goals and points vs. BUF.
INJURIES
PLAYER INJURY STATUS GAMES MISSED
Tyler Motte Upper-Body Out 2
Steven Stamkos Lower-Body Day-to-Day 1
Andrei Vasilevskiy Back Out 3
2023-24 Total Man Games Lost: 6
Buffalo Sabres Notes:
LAST GAME
Saturday, Oct. 14
Buffalo 2 at NY Islanders 3
Goals: Greenway, Mittelstadt
Goalie: Levi (26 saves/29 shots)
PP: 0/2; PK: 3/3; Shots: New York 29 – Buffalo 28
CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 4)
Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed
Jack Quinn (Achilles, Oct. 13; injured reserve) – 2 games
Matt Savoie (Upper body, Oct. 13; injured reserve) – 2 games
TRANSACTIONS IN PAST 7 DAYS
10/11: Signed defenseman Owen Power to a seven-year extension worth $58.45 million
UPCOMING GAMES
Thursday, Oct. 19: Calgary at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 21: NY Islanders at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 23: Montreal at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 24: Buffalo at Ottawa, 6:45 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 27: Buffalo at New Jersey, 7 p.m.
TONIGHT’S GAME
SABRES vs. LIGHTNING
- This is the first of four meetings between the Sabres and Lightning this season.
- Next meeting: Saturday, Jan. 20 in Buffalo.
- Last meeting: Buffalo defeated Tampa Bay 5-3 in in Buffalo on March 4, 2023.
- The Sabres are 3-6-1 in their last 10 games against the Lightning; 4-5-1 at home.
- This is the 188th game all-time between Buffalo and Tampa Bay; Buffalo has a 58-45-10 series record.
- The Sabres are 28-22-6 at home against the Lightning all-time.
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
- Buffalo has defeated Tampa Bay in each of the last two matchups between the two clubs and a win in tonight’s game would give the Sabres three straight wins over the Lightning for the first time since the team won four consecutive games against Tampa Bay from Oct. 24, 2009 to March 27, 2010.
- The Sabres have earned at least one point in each of their last three matchups with the Lightning for the first time since that stretch.
- In each of the last 10 meetings between Buffalo and Tampa Bay, at least one team has recorded five or more goals.
- Zach Benson has recorded two points (0+2) in his first two NHL games with Buffalo.
- With a point in tonight’s game, he would become the first Sabres skater to record at least three points in the first three games of their career since Casey Nelson tallied four points (0+4) from March 26 to 29, 2016. 14 Sabres skaters have accomplished the feat in franchise history and Danny Gare (Oct. 10 to 19, 1974; 2+1) was the first to do so.
- Tage Thompson has registered 12 points (7+5) in 10 career games against the Lightning, including eight points (5+3) in his last four.
- Jeff Skinner has posted six points (3+3) in his last four games against the Lightning, including at least one point in each game. With one point in tonight’s game, both Skinner and Thompson would become the first Sabres skater(s) since Derek Roy (seven games, Dec. 6, 2008 to March 27, 2010) to notch a point in five consecutive games against the Lightning.
- Kyle Okposo (7+16) and Skinner (14+9) have both recorded 23 career points against Tampa Bay, the most among current Sabres skaters.
- Rasmus Dahlin has notched four points (0+4) in his last three games against the Lightning, including at least one assist in each game.
- With a point in tonight’s game, he would become the first defenseman in Sabres history to record a point streak of four or more games against the Lightning.
