Tampa, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Ben Bishop faced just 13 shots in his first shutout of the season and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-0 on Thursday night to split a home-and-home series.
Steven Stamkos, Brenden Morrow, Nikita Kucherov, Jason Garrison and Brett Connolly scored for the Lightning, who had a four-game winning streak snapped in Tuesday's 2-1 shootout loss in Buffalo.
Bishop stopped five shots in the first period, three in the second and made five more saves in the third for his ninth career shutout.
"I thought it was a big team win," Bishop said. "We played a full 60 minutes."
Jhonas Enroth gave up all five Tampa Bay goals on 35 shots as the Sabres lost for only the second time in their last eight games.
"We just lost track of what we have to do in order to be successful," said Sabres head coach Ted Nolan.
The Lightning took a 1-0 lead 2:33 into the game when Kucherov got a piece of defenseman Radko Gudas' shot from the right boards and the puck bounced through Enroth's legs.
Stamkos and Morrow both buried shots from around the crease 71 seconds apart early in the second period and Garrison's slap shot from the point made it 4-0 after it hit off the post, then Enroth's back before going in.
Connolly scored with 1:05 remaining in a fight-filled third period, Tampa Bay's only goal in six man advantages in the game.
Game Notes
Bishop had five shutouts last season ... The Sabres remain in the state to play Florida on Saturday ... The Lightning began a four-game homestand that continues Saturday against Columbus.
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