Tampa Bay Lightning Hope To Rebound Against Buffalo Sabres

The Tampa Bay Lightning are looking to put an end to their downward spiral as they take on the Buffalo Sabres tonight at the Amalie Arena.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have been through quite a lot this season. After a promising start, a slew of injuries began plaguing the Lightning lineup and has since sent the team into a downward spiral for a good portion of the first half of the season.

It’s time for the Tampa Bay Lightning to get back on track. As the team hurdles over the halfway point in the season, the time for change is upon us. If the Lightning have any hopes of playing past the first week in April, there is a lot of work to be done.

Thankfully, the Tampa Bay Lightning received some good news prior to tonight’s puck drop. It seems Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop has healed up quite nicely and is ready to take his place between the pipes as the Bolts take on the Buffalo Sabres tonight at the Amalie Arena.

Tampa Bay Lightning /

Tampa Bay Lightning

It is never a bad day when a team gets one of their core players back in the lineup; especially one who can provide the kind of stability Ben Bishop can. One of the biggest differences between Bishop and Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is Bishop’s ability to play the puck.

When it comes down to the final push and the team is giving it everything they have, having someone like Bishop who can deftly play the puck is a tremendous asset.

There is no denying, it would be in the best interest of the Tampa Bay Lightning to have a couple more of their injured players back in the lineup tonight. As we take a look at the team heading into tonight, there is a slight possibility this may come to fruition.

Tampa Bay Lightning

In addition to the news announced earlier today regarding the return status of Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop, there is a slight chance two other injured Lightning players may be able to make their way back into the lineup.

According to Lightning Beat Writer Bryan Burns, Lightning Head Coach Jon Cooper stated both Brian Boyle and Braydon Coburn are game-time decisions tonight against Buffalo. It would definitely be nice to get someone like Brian Boyle in the lineup.

When it comes to the word versatility, Brian Boyle is the poster child. Boyle can play effectively at any position and can not only use his size to his advantage but can seriously bear down and make a play happen when the moment arises.

Leading the way for the Lightning right now in terms of scoring is forward Nikita Kucherov. (Surprise, huh?) In the 35 games he’s played so far this season, Kucherov has brought home 16 goals and 23 assists for a total of 39 points.

Right on the heels of Nikita Kucherov comes Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman. The six-foot-six-inch tall defenseman leads the way for the team in assists with 30. Add in his seven goals so far this season and you come up with a grand total of 37 points.

One of the things eluding the Lightning this season has been consistency. If the Lightning wants to bring home a victory tonight and kick off yet another back-to-back series on a high note, they are going to have to come out of the tunnel strong and continue to set the pace for a full 60 minutes of hockey.

Buffalo Sabres

Surprisingly enough, the Buffalo Sabres are coming into tonight’s contest on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. While the Lightning is desperately hoping to put an end to their four-game losing streak, the Sabres are looking to extend a two-game win streak with a victory in Tampa Bay.

Scarily enough, there are three Sabres players vying for first place on the team in overall points. Sabres forwards Kyle Okposo and Sam Reinhart along with defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen all have a total of 27 points so far this season.

Okposo has 12 goals and 15 assists, Reinhart has nine goals and 18 assists, and Ristolainen has three goals and 24 assists. Each of them has different ways of getting the job done, which makes each of them dangerous in their own unique way.

The Eastern Conference is still very tight, and while the Buffalo Sabres may be towards the bottom of the list right now, a solid winning streak could change the entire landscape. If the Lightning wants to prevent the rise of the Sabres and start a win streak of their own, they’ll have to bring their ‘A’ game tonight.

Keys to the Game

As we mentioned before, the biggest key to tonight’s game will be consistency. If the Tampa Bay Lightning can come out of the tunnel with intensity and passion and keep their momentum rolling for an entire 60 minutes of hockey, they will find themselves in a good position to snap their losing streak and get back on the right path.

Secondly, the team needs to solidify themselves defensively. Over the course of the last few games, the Lightning defense has given their opponents far too many chances in the zone resulting in odd man rushes, breakaways, and many other things which put pressure on the netminder.

While Ben Bishop is certainly capable of taking care of himself, it’d be nice if the defense didn’t hang their netminder out to dry on a continual basis. Having a majority of the defensive core intact, there is no reason the Bolts can’t be playing at the highest level.

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A single game can shift a team’s momentum and set them on a course for victory. The Tampa Bay Lightning have the opportunity to make it happen tonight as they charge into the Amalie Arena. Here’s hoping Lightning fans see more of the team that started the season than the team that’s played the last few games.