Tampa Bay Lightning were the dominants of last season. With 62 wins in 82 matches, they set the record for the most wins in a season, but went out in the first round of the playoffs.
This season, however, things have been a little nicer. 14 points in 13 matches played make the team as close to the bottom of the table as a playoff spot. But in the first match in the Globe against the Buffalo Sabers, which started the season with 20 points in 15 games, things went better.
The team looked to have handled the time adjustment best, and looked good. And after just over three minutes when Brayden Point and Nikita Kutjerov came into play, it called behind Linus Ullmark. When Tampa Bay got the chance in powerplay at the end of the first, the team expanded the lead. Victor Hedman sent a projectile that Alex Killorn steered behind a chanceless Ullmark.
In the second, Buffalo created excitement in the match when Sam Reinhart reduced to 1-2. But it was nevertheless Tampa Bay's match, and when Yanni Gourde eight minutes into the third extended to 3-1 it was not illogical.
However, Sam Reinhart made the end exciting when he had his second goal of the match with just over eight minutes left. But Lightning held off, winning 3-2.