STOCKHOLM — Nikita Kucherov scored and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 20 saves to assist the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Buffalo Sabres Three-2 on Friday night time within the first of their two regular-season video games within the Swedish capital.
The sold-out video games at Ericsson Globe are a part of the NHL International Sequence.
Alex Killorn and Yanni Gourde additionally scored for the Lightning.
Sam Reinhart twice for Buffalo. The Sabres have misplaced 4 straight.
Kucherov opened the scoring at Three:19 of the primary interval. Brayden Level despatched a cross-ice cross that Kucherov swept in on a one-timer. The reigning NHL MVP has 5 targets this season.
Kucherov made his presence felt once more later within the interval when Buffalo ahead Vladimir Sobotka wanted help from his teammates to get off the ice after successful from the Lightning star.
Killorn scored on an influence play with Three:46 remaining within the interval, tipping house favorite Victor Hedman’s slap shot from the blue line previous goalie Linus Ullmark. Hedman, the one Swede on the Tampa Bay crew, recovered from a lower-body damage in time to play.
Alex Killorn, Tampa Bay Lightning (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
Reinhart lower it to 2-1 with Four:17 left within the second, redirecting Rasmus Ristolainen’s wrist shot.
Gourde scored at 7:45 of the third, and Reinhart struck once more with eight:30 to go.
It’s the third straight yr — and eighth general — the NHL has performed in Europe to attempt to enhance its native following in hockey-mad nations together with Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic. The Philadelphia Flyers beat the Chicago Blackhawks Four-Three of their season opener in Prague on Oct Four.
NOTES
It was the 27th NHL regular-season recreation in Europe, 12th in Sweden and 11th at Ericsson Globe. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman stated Friday the Boston Bruins and the Nashville Predators will open the common season subsequent yr with a recreation in Prague, and the Colorado Avalanche and the Columbus Blue Jackets will play a few video games within the Finnish capital of Helsinki. … Vasilevskiy is 9-1-1 towards the Sabres.
UP NEXT
The Sabres and Lightning full the two-game sequence in Stockholm on Saturday night time.
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Karel Janicek, The Related Press
