TAMPA, Fla. — Cedric Paquette broke a tie with 5:41 left and the Tampa Bay Lightning ended the Buffalo Sabres’ franchise-record-tying winning streak at 10 games with a 5-4 victory Thursday night.
Paquette beat Carter Hutton, who had won his previous eight starts, from then top of the left circle.
Dan Girardi, Alex Killorn, Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos also scored, and Luis Domingue made saves.
Sam Reinhart had two goals for Buffalo, and Zemgus Girgensons and Tage Thompson also scored.
After the Sabres took a 4-3 lead on Thompson’s goal at 2:29 of the third, Stamkos tied it 1:49 later on a power play.
Buffalo pulled even at 3 when Jack Eichel’s pass from the left wing boards into slot went off Reinhart’s skate at 5:39 of the second.
Eichel had two assists, giving him 25 this season.
Kucherov put the Lightning up 3-2 from the slot during a 3-on-1 with 4:05 left in the first. The right wing also had an assist, and has an eight-game point streak (three goals, 17 points). He set career high for points in a single month with 23.
After Girardi opened the scoring, Girgensons and Reinhart scored 63 seconds apart midway through the first. Killorn knotted it at 2-all just 43 seconds after Reinhart’s goal.
Girardi couldn’t put any weight on his right leg after a collision with Thompson five minutes into the game but returned 10 minute later.
Tampa Bay defenceman Ryan McDonagh went to the locker room at 11:50 of the first after being hit at the end boards by Eichel, who received a two-minute boarding penalty.
Sabres defenceman Jake McCabe departed in the second with an undisclosed injury.
NOTES: Lightning LW Ondrej Palat (foot) returned after missing 16 games. … Tampa Bay D Anton Stralman (upper body) sat out his 10th consecutive game and will be re-evaluated next week…. Sabres D Marco Scandella (undisclosed) and LW Conor Sheary (upper body) were both out of the lineup but could play this week. Buffalo D Matt Hunwick (neck) has resumed practicing with the team.
UP NEXT
Sabres: At Florida on Friday night.
Lightning: At Florida on Saturday night to start a three-game trip.
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Mark Didtler, The Associated Press