Lightning 1 - 2 Sabres
Final - 2OT
  for this game

Sizzling Sabres take down Bolts in SO

Dec 3, 2014 - 6:48 AM Buffalo, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Jhonas Enroth stopped 26 shots in regulation and overtime plus both shootout chances as Buffalo claimed a 2-1 decision over Tampa Bay on Tuesday in the opener of a home-and-home series.

"Our guys played really well in front of me," Enroth said. "They didn't have too many scoring chances."

Zemgus Girgensons tallied in regulation for the Sabres, who have won three in a row and six of their last seven. Cody Hodgson and Tyler Ennis hit the net in the game's final segment.

Ondrej Palat lit the lamp and Evgeni Nabokov made 21 saves for the Lightning, who couldn't maintain momentum from a 6-3 road win in Manhattan on Monday.

Hodgson began the final portion of the contest by beating Nabokov on the backhand, then Palat was turned away by Enroth. Ennis effectively put the game out of reach with his successful shot, and Ryan Callahan failed on his try to send the hosts to victory.

"He's a good goaltender," Lightning center Tyler Johnson said of Enroth. "He made some good saves."

Callahan could have produced the game's first goal, but he pulled the puck just wide of the right post on a contested breakaway just over five minutes into the second period.

Palat redirected a Johnson feed from just behind the goal line inside the right post and beyond Enroth's pad for the game's first goal with 10:08 left in regulation.

Girgensons then took a second-chance rebound of a Josh Gorges point drive and patiently flipped it over a prone Nabokov to even the score with 3:54 left in regulation.

Nabokov made a quick stop on a Girgensons rush as time wound down in overtime.

Game Notes

Buffalo improved to 4-1 in shootouts, while Tampa Bay fell to 1-3 ... Prior to the game, the Sabres recalled forward Tim Schaller from Rochester of the AHL, activated defenseman Josh Gorges from injured reserve list and placed forward Cody McCormick on injured reserve ... Despite his club's position in the bottom reaches of the Eastern Conference, Girgensons has become the top fan-vote recipient in Sirius/XM's online 2015 All-Star Fan Voting this week, with a lead of more than 155,000 votes over Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban.






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