(SportsNetwork.com) - The Tampa Bay Lightning take aim at their fourth win in five games when they welcome the Buffalo Sabres for Saturday's clash in Central Florida.
The Lightning have won three of their past four games and are 4-2-0 so far on a seven-game homestand at Tampa Bay Times Forum. The residency ends tonight and Tampa is set to begin a three-game road trip beginning with Sunday's tilt against the rival Florida Panthers.
Tampa Bay suffered a 5-0 setback to Boston on Saturday, but rebounded with Thursday's wild 6-5 overtime win against the Chicago Blackhawks. Martin St. Louis scored on a rebound 1:16 into the extra session to lift the Lightning past the defending Stanley Cup champions.
After Steven Stamkos scored his second goal of the game with 2:29 left in regulation to put the Lightning ahead 5-4, Jonathan Toews was credited with a goal on a Tampa Bay miscue less than a minute later to force overtime.
In the extra session, Radko Gudas ripped a shot at Nikolai Khabibulin, who coughed up the rebound which allowed St. Louis to wrist home the game-winner.
"I really felt like we just stuck with it," St. Louis said. "Our power play got us some big goals today and we were able to put it away in overtime."
Matthew Carle, Nate Thompson and Victor Hedman also scored for Tampa Bay, while Ben Bishop had 38 saves to earn the win between the pipes.
The Sabres, meanwhile, aim to build off their second win of the season on Saturday. Buffalo snapped a three-game slide Friday by beating the Panthers, 3-1. Steve Ott and Cody Hodgson scored late in the third period to send the Sabres to the road victory.
Rasmus Ristolainen supplied a second-period marker and Jhonas Enroth tied a career best with 44 saves for the Sabres, who have posted both of their wins this season on the road.
"Ristolainen has a nice shot; he's got a good shot from the point," Buffalo head coach Ron Rolston said. "That was the difference tonight, as our offensive blueline work was better."
The Sabres, who are without forwards Patrick Kaleta and John Scott due to league suspensions, could get Ville Leino back tonight. Leino has been sidelined since suffering a cracked rib in Buffalo's season opener on Oct. 2.
The Lightning and Sabres, who are both in the Atlantic Division, met earlier this season in Buffalo when Tampa recorded a 3-2 overtime decision on Oct. 8. Alex Killorn scored the game-winner for the Bolts, who have taken two of three and five of the last eight meetings in this series.
Buffalo has won five of eight and 12 of the last 16 meetings in Tampa.
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