So much for Linus Ullmar's sizzling .930 save percentage.
The young Swede earned his third start in a row for the Sabres after posting convincing victories over the Flyers and Islanders. last weekend.
On Thursday night, the struggling Tampa Lightning blitzed the Sabres for three goals in the first period. Steven Stamkos, Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov all lit Ullmark's lamp.
Ullmark's night ended after 20 minutes when he was pulled from his cage by Dan Bylsma during the first period intermission. The Sabres played way to soft in their own end in the first period and in so doing, left Ullmark hanging high and dry with no support against the sniping Lightning.
Oh, to be a fly on the wall in the Buffalo change room between periods.
Bylsma was not amused and nor should he have been at his team's at-times atrocious defensive zone coverage that left Ullmark very vulnerable to Lightning chances.
I like that Bylsma pulled Ullmark. I don't thinkj that the kid was that bad. In fact, I think his teammates did a poor job of supporting him. Bylsma used the coaching moment to tell his team "WAKE UP. NOW!!"
Bylsma tested for each and his team would respond with a much more inspired effort in the second period.
The game box score reads that Ullmark yielded 3 goals on 10 shots, however, all three goals were not his fault.
I'm not laying blame at Ullmark's skates. Tyler Ennis was a dash three in the first period as he was on the ice for all three even strength goals against. Buffalo's #1 D pair of Josh Gorges and Rasmus Ristolainen were a combined -4 in the first period as well.
Bylsma sent Chad Johnson to the crease to begin the second period and the Sabres came out flying. Jack Eichel and his Sabres flipped the script on Stamkos on the reigning Eastern Conference champions and proceeded to take a speed game right back at the Bolts.
Eichel used his speed, skill and iron will to back down veteran D Braydon Coburn and beat rookie Andrei Vasilevskiy for his fifth goal of the season.
The Sabres out shot the Lightning 21-8 in the second period after trailing the shot clock 11-8 in the first period.
After 40 minutes, the Sabres led the Bolts 29-19 on the shot clock.
Give the Bolts a two goal third period lead and more times than not they lock it down by deploying their 1-2-1 Trap.
Both teams combined for only 5 shots in the third period.
Sabres lost 4-1.
Now they turn their attention to Ryan Miller's return to Buffalo on Saturday afternoon.