BUFFALO, N.Y. - The Lightning know exactly what kind of night they want in Buffalo.
Not the wild one from eight months ago. Not the track meet.
Not the penalty parade. Not the kind of game where every shift feels like it could turn into a fight, a rush chance or a special-teams avalanche.
This time, Tampa Bay wants something much more controlled.
“If the game goes crazy, that’s good for them,” Lightning defenseman J.J. Moser said.
“They have, like, all the talent to make great plays, crazy plays sometimes, risky plays. They’re like an action team.
And if we play the way that we want, it’s probably going to be more of a boring game, which is good for us, but because we know they can be dangerous if they play their game.”
Moser didn’t stop there. He made clear the Lightning are ready for the same edge that defined the last meeting between these teams.
“And then from a physical standpoint, we were two of the top teams, like, last year. So they wanted to show (their toughness), and we’re not going to back down.
So it’s going to be the same today. We’ll see how they come out and what’s going on.
But we surely are not going to back down. And if they want the heat, they can get it.
But I think if we control the game more, if we control the pace of the game, it’s not going to be as crazy as that last time.”
That last time was memorable for all the chaos. Buffalo’s 8-7 win at KeyBank Center put the Sabres atop the Atlantic Division in a game that had just about everything: 28 penalties, 10 fighting majors and a Lightning comeback from three goals down to a 7-5 lead with a little more than 10 minutes left. The Sabres still finished it off with their fourth power-play goal of the night.
Now the Lightning return for their first regular-season game in Buffalo this season, and the lineup will look different too.
Top prospect Sam O’Reilly is set to make his NHL debut after being called up from AHL Syracuse on Tuesday, with Brayden Point landing on injured reserve because of the lower-body injury he suffered Sunday in Winnipeg. Tampa Bay does not have a right-shot forward without Point, and O’Reilly fills that need. He was also seen working in Point’s bumper spot on the top power-play unit.
O’Reilly will have plenty of family support in the building. He has a large group of supporters coming from Cochrane, Ontario, the hometown of his parents, Chuck and Betty, which is about a 10-hour drive from Buffalo.
Betty will be there. Chuck is making his way to Buffalo from the U.K., where he was on a business trip.
The morning skate also offered a few clues about the lineup. Gage Goncalves, Max Crozier and Emil Lilleberg were the last three skaters off the ice at the optional session, which points to them likely being healthy scratches. Dennis Hildeby was on the ice late, which suggests Andrei Vasilevskiy is likely to start in goal.
The Lightning’s projected lineup for tonight:
Forwards
Brandon Hagel-Anthony Cirelli-Nikita Kucherov
Jake Guentzel-Sam O’Reilly-Yanni Gourde
Ilya Mikheyev-Zemgus Girgensons-Pontus Holmberg
Jeff Viel-Conor Geekie-Scott Sabourin
Defensemen
J.J.
Moser-John Carlson
Ryan McDonagh-Erik Cernak
Victor Hedman-Charle-Edouard D’Astous
Goaltender
Andrei Vasilevskiy
In Other News...
Lightning Center Depth Suddenly Faces A Test Fans Can't Ignore
The Lightnings center depth is getting an early-season stress test after Brayden Point was sidelined, forcing the team to look down the organizational ladder for help. Tampa Bay turned to AHL Syracuse and brought up Sam OReilly, giving the 19-year-old a chance to step into a bigger role at a time when the middle of the ice suddenly matters a lot more.
OReilly is already practicing with the club and is expected to be part of the mix, including on the power play, as the Lightning adjust their forward group. For a team that leans so heavily on its top centers, the next stretch will be a revealing one, with Tampa Bay trying to keep its structure intact while waiting for one of its most important players to get back. [Read more 🡒]
Lightning Fans Should Keep A Close Eye On Syracuse Right Now
The Syracuse Crunch took a pair of losses in Week 6, dropping 5-2 to the Utica Comets before falling 3-2 in overtime against the Hartford Wolf Pack, and the results are worth watching closely for Tampa Bay fans. Syracuse has been a key development stop for the Lightning, and the Crunch still have some important dates ahead, including Military Appreciation Night plus upcoming games against Laval, Toronto and Utica.
One bright spot has been the play of Jakob Pelletier, who has given Syracuse some needed offense during the skid. The Crunch are still trying to find more consistency as the season settles in, and the roster picture has already shifted with rookie forward Sam O'Reilly back with Tampa Bay after appearing in 12 games for Syracuse this year. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Suddenly Have A Bigger Problem Than Their Recent Slide
The Maple Leafs recent slide has already put some pressure on the room, but the injury report only deepened the concern heading into the next game. Toronto said forward Colton Sissons is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury, while defenseman Morgan Rielly is day-to-day, and winger Kirill Marchenko is still week-to-week with the same issue. It is the kind of update that forces a team to adjust quickly, especially when it is already trying to steady itself in the standings.
Toronto also made a roster move to help patch things together, recalling forward Ryan Tverberg from the AHL and sending Vinni Lettieri back down. With Sergei Bobrovsky slated to start in net for the upcoming game, the Leafs will be looking for answers in a hurry, and the bigger concern now is not just the slump itself but how long the lineup can hold up while key pieces are unavailable. [Read more 🡒]