(SportsNetwork.com) - The Buffalo Sabres have gotten more than adequate goaltending through their first three games, but a lack of goal scoring has left the club winless.
The Sabres try to avoid their first 0-4 start in franchise history on Tuesday night as they play host to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Buffalo has been outscored 7-2 in three losses to begin the season. Ryan Miller stopped 77-of-80 shots faced through the first two games, but did not dress in Saturday's 4-1 setback to the Pittsburgh Penguins due to a lower-body injury. Jhonas Enroth got the start in Miller's place and made 31 saves on 34 shots faced.
Thomas Vanek had the only goal for the Sabres, who are off to their worst start since beginning the 1999-2000 campaign 0-5 with a pair of ties. They are 0-for-13 on the power play this season.
"Our goalies have stood on their head all three games and it's unfortunate that we can't be better in front of them to kind of limit some of their shots and some of their chances," said Sabres defenseman Mike Weber. "Again, it all comes down to us finding a way to get some offense going, generate some offense and bear down and score goals."
Miller did not practice on Monday and it is unknown if he will be able to dress for tonight's game. However, forward Marcus Foligno is expected to play for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury in a Sept. 22 preseason game.
Foligno had 18 points in 47 games a season ago.
The Lightning have split their first two games of this season and used a late rally to best the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 in a shootout on Saturday.
Martin St. Louis and Teddy Purcell scored less than two minutes apart just past the midway point of the third period and Valtteri Filppula scored in the first round of the shootout.
Ben Bishop stopped all three skaters he faced in the tiebreaker to secure the win after posting 37 saves through overtime.
It was certainly a slow start for the Lightning, who did not log a shot in the first period and got outshot 39-16 in the game.
"We weathered the storm," Bolts forward Steven Stamkos said. "Our goalie made some big saves. He kept us in the game. That's kind of the way this league goes."
Tampa Bay wraps its season-opening three-game road trip tonight and will kick off a seven-game stay at home on Thursday.
The Lightning have lost three of their past four versus the Sabres, who snapped a two-game slide in Tampa with a 3-1 victory last season.
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