The last time the Buffalo Sabres were in Tampa Bay, they were leaving with only one point after blowing a lead late in the third period before the Lightning scored the game-winner in overtime. However, this time around, the Sabres made sure it was never that close as they scored four goals in the first period and were able to cruise to a 6-2 victory over the Lightning.
The Lightning have been one of the best teams in the entire NHL, and they have not suffered losses like these often. In fact, this is only the third time they have lost by four or more goals, and the last time it happened was all the way back on November 16th.
These are some of the takeaways from the game on Saturday night ahead of the Sabres' next game on Tuesday against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Buffalo Sabres have their best first period of the season against the Tampa Bay Lightning
The Buffalo Sabres were coming off a tough game the night before against the Florida Panthers and really needed to get off to a fast start against the Lightning. They did just that, as for the first time this season, they were able to score four goals in the first period.
Rasmus Dahlin opened the scoring with a goal about five minutes into the period, and then Josh Norris added two in a two-minute span to push the lead to three. The final goal of the period was by Tage Thompson, who has four goals in six games and at least one point in seven straight games.
It was a collective team effort, though, as the Sabres had nine players record at least one point in the period.
Any time a team can score four goals in a period, it is impressive. However, considering they were able to do it on the second night of a back-to-back against one of the best teams in the league makes this performance pretty remarkable.
Peyton Krebs recent performance rewarded by remaining on top line even with Zach Benson back
Ahead of the game against the Lightning, the Buffalo Sabres activated forward Zach Benson. He missed four games dating back to before the Olympic break, and when Benson is not out there, his absence is certainly felt.
For most of the season, Benson has been playing on the top line with Tage Thompson. Once he returned, the expectation was that is where he would return, but Peyton Krebs has been excellent since Benson's injury.
Entering the game against the Lightning, Krebs had five points in the last five games and then added an assist in the first period to extend his game streak to three. At some point, the Sabres probably will move Benson back to that top line, but with how well Krebs and the team as a whole have played, it is hard to make drastic changes.
Noah Ostlund steps up when needed for Rasmus Dahlin
In the second period, Rasmus Dahlin took a nasty slash from Brayden Point after Dahlin hit Point with a cross-check. However, after the slash, Noah Ostlund showed no hesitation and stepped up to Point for Dahlin.
Ostlund is not known for being a fighter, but in the moment, it didn't matter. It was great to see a team that has faced some criticism in the past about not protecting their teammates. What Ostlund was able to do was send a message to the rest of the league that those days are long gone.
Josh Norris is a difference maker for the Buffalo Sabres when healthy
Unfortunately, Josh Norris once again has dealt with more than his fair share of injuries this season. It has been a consistent theme in his career, and injuries have limited him to only 22 games this season.
However, when he is on the ice, he is a difference maker for the Buffalo Sabres and showed what he can do against the Lightning. Norris would have two of the Sabres' four goals in the first period, and it was his second game this season with two goals.
The hope is that Norris can remain healthy because he has been very productive, as he now has 20 points in 22 games. The depth the Sabres have with Norris is tough for teams to match up with but the big question is whether or not he can stay healthy and contribute in the playoffs.
The Buffalo Sabres didn't let up and made sure this win wouldn't slip away
The Buffalo Sabres jumped out to that four-goal lead after the first period, but this is the Tampa Bay Lightning, and no lead really feels safe with them. The Sabres saw that first-hand earlier this month when the Lightning would score in the final minute of regulation and then score the game-winner in the final minute of overtime.
While that first game between these two teams was much closer, the Sabres learned a valuable lesson and did a great job playing with the lead. In the second period, they only added one goal, but they outshot the Lightning 20-14 and didn't really give Tampa much of a chance to make it a game.
The fact that the Sabres were able to take three of four points in two road games against the Lightning is great to see. It is certainly a boost to their playoff chances, but it also keeps the Atlantic Division in reach as they are now only four points back of the Lightning in the standings.
The Sabres still have two more games against the Lightning on the schedule but with both of those at home, they are in a great position to put pressure on Tampa Bay for the division down the stretch.