A Roadie for Eichel

By on November 10, 2015

Valtteri Filppula (51) tries to slow Buffalo number two draft pick.  Jack Eichel (15) had his first two NHL road points with a goal and assist. (photo Kim Klement / USA TODAY Sports)

Valtteri Filppula (51) tries to slow Buffalo’s number two draft pick. Jack Eichel (15) had his first two NHL road points with a goal and assist. (photo Kim Klement / USA TODAY Sports)

Tonight the Lightning opened a three game home stand with a game against the Buffalo Sabres. This will be the Bolts final regular contest versus Buffalo, ironically all four regular season meetings against the Sabres are in the first 17 games of the season. The three previous games have gone to the Lightning.

The Buffalo Sabres opened up the scoring tonight at 5:57 in the first period when the second overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft #15 Jack Eichel lit the lamp with a power play goal assisted by #46 Cody Franson. Eichel would later add a helper on a Franson goal for road points one and two in Eichel’s career.

The Bolts go on their first power play a little more than 8:00 into the first period when Buffalo forward Marcus Foligno commits a hooking penalty.  The Bolts are unable to capitalize, and play continues with the Sabres leading 1-0.

At 14:35 Buffalo’s #17 David Legwand commits the teams second penalty…The Bolts get their chance at a second power play… and still no red light. The second period ends with the Lightning scoreless and only 5 shots on goal.

The Lightning are not looking like the Eastern Conference team they were just a few short months ago. Last season they were the top scoring team in the NHL with 259 goals. They need to find a way to get the puck to the back of the net !

Ryan O’Reilly will be the Buffalo Sabre that will give the Lightning a third chance of this contest to score a power play goal. Within seconds, 26 to be exact,  the crowd roars as #91 their captain Steven Stamkos rifles one short side past Buffalo’s net-minder #31 Chad Johnson. It’s hammertime !

Then wow! Buffalo quickly answered less than one minute later at 1:40,  their second goal of the game. Both teams are buzzing and they’ve gotten the crowd engaged. It was an eventful second period with 5 penalties, 2 goals and 21 shots.  The teams enter their locker rooms with the score Sabres 2 Lightning 1.

Marcus Foligno #82 for Buffalo roofs one through the glove of the Lightning goalie #88 Andrei Vasilevskiy at 5:24 in the third period to put the Sabres ahead 3-1. It was Foligno’s first goal of the season, assists coming from #17 David Legwand and #44 Nicolas Deslauriers. The crowd became very quiet in the “Oil Can” at 401 Channelside Drive.

The Lightning keep the puck in Buffalo zone with about 6 minutes left to go in the third period, but are unable to get one by the Sabres focused net minder #31 Chad Johnson.

The Lightning are 10-1-1 in the their last 12 games vs. Buffalo, unfortunately as the game ending horn sounds it dropped 10-2-1.

More fun Thursday night at the “Oil Can” with the old 2004 Stanley Cup rematch vs. the Calgary  Flames.

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