The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Buffalo Sabres 8-3 on just 22 shots. Nikita Kucherov scored a natural hat trick and had all four of his points in the third period, and John Carlson had a career-high five points to reach 800 for his career.

On today’s Lightning Power Lunch, Dave Mishkin and Greg Linnelli break down a game that was closer than the final score. Tampa Bay led 4-0, then Buffalo scored three goals in about four and a half minutes to make it 4-3. Andrei Vasilevskiy held the line against the Sabres’ pressure in the last two periods, and Kucherov’s breakaway goal put the game away. The win gives the Bolts four points on the road trip, and they can make it six of a possible eight in Columbus tonight.

🏒 IN THIS EPISODE

• Lightning vs. Sabres recap: how a 4-0 lead became 4-3, and the plays that kept it from turning into a collapse
• Why Vasilevskiy’s .903 save percentage undersells how good he was
• Milestones: Carlson’s five points and 800th career point, a career-high four assists for Jake Guentzel, Yanni Gourde’s first goal of the season, Anthony Cirelli’s 600th game, and Charle-Edouard D’Astous at +5
• Sam O’Reilly’s NHL debut: a primary assist and how he did on faceoffs
• Erik Cernak’s injury on the Beck Malenstyn hit: clean or reckless? Max Crozier expected in tonight
• Kucherov’s contract: does a four-point night change anything with Julien BriseBois?
• Buffalo’s problems: defensive breakdowns, life without Alex Tuch, and Jason Zucker’s 15 goals in 20 games against Tampa
• Preview of Lightning at Columbus Blue Jackets, the road trip finale and second half of a back-to-back: Rick Bowness, Matthew Knies, Kent Johnson, and how last year’s Blue Jackets beat Tampa in transition
• Your questions: the penalty kill, J.J. Moser’s season, Yanni Gourde’s hip surgery and recovery, and when we’ll see Dominic James again

📻 Pregame starts at 6:30 PM tonight on the Lightning Audio Network. On Saturday the Lightning debut their Hometown Remix jersey against Detroit to start a six-game homestand.

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