Losing top defenseman and captain Victor Hedman is something the Lightning can't afford with the postseason on the horizon.
The Sabres are on their second winless streak of five or more games this season, and eighth under GM Kevyn Adams.
The Sabres have lost seven games this year when leading by two or more goals at some point. Four of the seven have been in regulation.
Analyzing Thursday’s Buffalo Sabres at Tampa Bay Lightning odds and lines, with NHL expert picks, predictions and best bets.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are poised for an easy victory against the Buffalo Sabres, given their superior offensive and defensive performance. With key players like Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy excelling,
Welcome back to NHL Predictions. We analyze matchups, dissect advanced stats, and pretend to have the foresight of a fortune teller. Tonight, we turn our attention to the Tampa Bay Lightning taking on the Buffalo Sabres—a matchup featuring one team fighting for playoff positioning and another fighting to stay relevant.
BOTTOM LINE: The Buffalo Sabres are looking to stop their four-game slide with a victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tampa Bay is 36-21-4 overall and 7-10-0 against the Atlantic Division. The Lightning are second in the league with 217 total goals (averaging 3.6 per game).
Analyzing Saturday’s Boston Bruins at Tampa Bay Lightning odds and lines, with NHL expert picks, predictions and best bets.
Koepke gave Boston a 1-0 lead at 10:32 of the second period when he was credited with a goal after a scramble in front. After Koepke drove to the net and put a backhand through Vasilevskiy’s pads, Tampa Bay forward Oliver Bjorkstrand tried to clear the puck from the crease but knocked it in off of Vasilevskiy's pad.