2 periods, 3 goals, Sabers beat Lightning

Buffalo’s Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner each scored a power play goal and an assist to lead the hosts’ Sabers to a 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon.

The Sabers have scored points in 3 of their 4 matchups (2-1-1) against opponents in the Atlantic Division in the Season Series, but 3 in their last 11 matchups (3-7-1). I stayed at the second victory.

Vinny Hinostroza, Tyson Jost and Jack Quinn scored, while goalkeeper Eric Comrie (8-8-0) stopped 33 shots.

After missing three games with a lower body injury, defenseman Rasmus Darling provided an assist.

Sabers forward Jordan Greenway, who was acquired near Friday’s trade deadline, didn’t play. Defenseman Matthias Samuelsson skated in his 100th game in the NHL.

In the first of eight road games in March, Tampa Bay had markers from Braden Point, Nick Purvix and Alex Killone, and made 29 saves from goaltender Brian Elliott.

The Lightning suffered a four-game losing streak (0-3-1). They have fallen 2-4-3 in their last nine games, and 8-4-0 in the first of back-to-back sets.

Captain Stephen Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov and Points did not play in the third period.

Left winger Michael Easimont, who was acquired from the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday, made his fourth-row debut.

Looking to improve on February’s 5-4-3 mark, the Lightning were able to take a 1-0 lead on their second power play after Darling committed a hooking violation at 11:37.

The visitors, who endured man advantage, moved the puck to Kucherov, the leading points producer with 88, and the right winger scored the 39th on points at 13:28.

But on the first power play after Nick Paul went into the holding, Buffalo leveled it.Thompson – who scored his fifth career hat-trick at the last conference in Tampa on Feb. 23 – scored his 42nd goal from the left circle at 16:15.

At the end of the board battle behind Elliott in the second period, Hinostroza scored his second goal from a pass from Casey Mittelstadt at 5:35 to give Buffalo their first lead.

Jost hit a backhand in the sixth shorthand tally at 12:30. Quinn made it 4-1 at his 12th marker with his 14 seconds remaining.

In the first minute of the third, Skinner scored the team’s second power play goal (26th), but Purbix answered on the fifth tally at 2:55 to make it 5-2. .

A short-handed goal, Killone’s 16th goal, ended the scoring.

–Field level media