BUFFALO, N.Y. _ The Lightning started slowly, then gave up too many goals, but came back to beat Buffalo, 6-4. They finished off 2019 with a sweep of a division opponent.
Alex Killorn scored twice, first to bring the Lightning within two and then to put them on top. The first was a power-play goal, banking a rebound of Brayden Point's shot from the slot to make the score 4-2 with 6:03 left in the second period.
His second came at 8:08 of the third, a quick wrist shot right in front, on a feed from Pat Maroon behind the net.
The Lightning got off to a bad start in the game. They had very little going offensively in the first period, but just enough in their own end to stay in the game. The Lightning managed only three shots (and two that hit the pipe) in the frame. They only gave up a single goal, a one-timer from Conor Sheary.
A flurry of six total goals came in the second period. Marcus Johansson started it off 2:12 in to the frame. Ondrej Palat answered with a power-play goal five minutes later. Then Jimmy Vesey scored for Buffalo a minute after that.
Jack Eichel created a turnover in Buffalo's end, made a move to beat Kevin Shattenkirk and then put a nice backhand past goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. After he put the Sabres up 4-1 on a shorthanded goal, the game seemed to turn in Buffalo's favor much more than any point in the more lopsided first period.
But then Killorn scored the power-play goal, and Tyler Johnson added a breakaway to bring the Lightning within one before the end of the period.
Shattenkirk opened the third period with a goal from the high slot and Killorn added his second a few minutes later. The game never shifted back to Buffalo, as Anthony Cirelli landed an empty-netter with two seconds left.
