Oliver Bjorkstrand nets winner in Lightning debut

Field Level Media|published: Fri 7th March, 01:32 2025

NHL: Buffalo Sabres at Tampa Bay Lightning

Mar 6, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (1) and center Ryan McLeod (71) defend the puck from Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (21) during the first period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Newcomer Oliver Bjorkstrand scored the go-ahead goal in the third period of his Tampa Bay debut as the Lightning rallied past the visiting Buffalo Sabres 6-5 on Thursday night for their 11th win in 13 games.

Acquired from the Seattle Kraken along with Yanni Gourde on Wednesday, Bjorkstrand potted a loose puck for the game-winner at 1:40 to break a 5-all tie.

The Lightning killed a six-on-three Buffalo power play in the final 17 seconds to hang on for the victory.

Jake Guentzel notched his second Lightning hat trick, while Nick Paul and Darren Raddysh had a goal and an assist apiece. Brandon Hagel and Nikita Kucherov had two helpers apiece, while goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy posted 28 saves.

For the Eastern Conference-worst Sabres, Rasmus Dahlin and JJ Peterka both had a goal and an assist. Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs and Tage Thompson all scored, while Zach Benson and Ryan McLeod had two assists each. Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 20 shots.

The Atlantic Division clubs tallied three times in a 52-second span of a five-goal first period.

Paul scored when his pass was clipped by Buffalo's Connor Clifton and put in own-goal style at 5:01, but Dahlin matched that by sending a tally in from the left circle 16 seconds later.

Raddysh put the Lightning ahead again with a quirky marker when his shot hit the stick of the Sabres' Bowen Byram, went airborne and Luukkonen headed it straight up and over into the goal.

However, Tampa Bay's Emil Lilleberg fanned on a shot attempt and fell in the Lightning offensive end. Tuch then led a two-on-one rush and wristed home another tying goal at 8:20.

The frame's final goal for Buffalo's first lead was at 17:09 by Krebs, who snapped a 23-match goalless streak with his first tally since Dec. 29.

Guentzel chipped in a pass from Erik Cernak 58 seconds into the second period for a 3-all tie, but Thompson flipped in his 31st goal at 9:35 on Buffalo's second power play for a 4-3 edge.

Peterka's steal and 19th goal gave Buffalo a two-goal lead at 12:40, but Guentzel backhanded his second at 17:43 to cut it to 5-4. He tied it on a power-play goal near the end of the second five-goal period.

--Field Level Media

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