Sabres' Road Trip Ends on a Sour Note: A Recap of the Loss to Lightning

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The Buffalo Sabres' road trip came to a close on a disappointing note as they fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2 at Amalie Arena on Thursday night. The loss marked the final game of the Sabres' five-game road trip, which saw them go 2-3-0 against some of the toughest teams in the league.
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The Sabres got off to a strong start, with Victor Olofsson scoring his 17th goal of the season just 2:12 into the game. However, the Lightning quickly responded with a goal of their own, courtesy of Brayden Point. The first period ended with the score tied 1-1, but the Lightning took control of the game in the second period, scoring three unanswered goals to take a 4-1 lead.

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The Sabres tried to mount a comeback in the third period, with Sam Reinhart scoring his 20th goal of the season to cut the deficit to 4-2. However, the Lightning sealed the win with an empty-net goal from Alex Killorn with just over a minute remaining in the game.

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Key Takeaways from the Game

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  • The Sabres' power play continued to struggle, going 0-for-4 on the night. The team has now gone 0-for-12 on the power play over their last three games.
  • Carter Hutton made 24 saves in the loss, but was unable to bail out his team's struggling defense.
  • The Sabres were outshot 30-26, marking the third consecutive game in which they have been outshot by their opponents.
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Looking Ahead

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The Sabres will now return home to face the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night. The game will mark the beginning of a crucial stretch for the Sabres, who will play six of their next seven games at home. With the team currently sitting outside of a playoff spot, they will need to start stringing together some wins if they hope to make a push for the postseason.

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Despite the disappointing loss, the Sabres can take some positives from their road trip. The team showed flashes of brilliance, particularly in their wins over the Vegas Golden Knights and Arizona Coyotes. If they can build on those performances and start to play more consistently, they may still have a chance to make some noise in the Eastern Conference.

For now, though, the focus is on bouncing back from Thursday's loss and getting back in the win column on Saturday. With a strong effort and a bit of luck, the Sabres can get back on track and start to make a push for the playoffs.

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