Dylan Cozens swung his stick against the boards, slammed the door to the Buffalo Sabres’ bench and sat seething while play continued in KeyBank Center.
The emphatic expression of frustration likely reflected how his teammates and the home crowd fans were feeling at that moment Monday night. The Sabres didn’t record a shot on goal in the second period until 6:44 remained.
Cozens’ decision to pass up a 2-on-1 shot in favor of forcing the puck to Rasmus Dahlin was one of several miscues against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning. The mistakes didn’t continue, though.
Backed by stellar goaltending from Craig Anderson, the Sabres took the lead on Drake Caggiula’s breakaway goal with 37.8 seconds remaining in the second period and Vinnie Hinostroza delivered hockey's version of a scoop-and-score to help Buffalo pull away for a 5-1 win over Tampa Bay.
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The Sabres (4-1-1) had not beaten the Lightning (2-3-1) since November 2018, posting an abysmal 0-6-1 record in the two teams’ seven meetings since.
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"We weren't really playing our game," Hinostroza said. "We were giving them too much respect over there and that's something we can't do. As soon as we got to our game, it was a lot of fun to play tonight. Definitely a big positive for our team."
Don Granato had a stern message for the Sabres when they entered the dressing room at the second intermission. He thought his players were letting the Lightning control the game and urged them to attack. Across the final 20 minutes, Buffalo had a 13-11 edge in shots.
For a coach who wants his players attacking on offense, Granato’s system defensively has helped the Sabres earn nine points in six games. While the Lightning finished with a 36-25 advantage in shots on goal, their attempts in the third period were mostly limited to the perimeter.
Anderson, 40, managed to clean up mistakes and finished with 35 saves. The only goal against occurred when Anthony Cirelli tied the score 1-1 at 18:26 into the first period by out-muscling Will Butcher for a loose puck after Anderson stopped a shot from the point.
Entering Monday, the Sabres ranked sixth in the NHL in goals against and limiting shot quality at 5-on-5, according to Evolving-Hockey.com. Their goaltending, viewed externally as a potential weakness entering training camp, also ranked sixth in 5-on-5 save percentage.
But the Sabres’ consecutive losses prior to the win, one in overtime to New Jersey, included overpassing, particularly the 4-1 defeat to the Bruins. The bad habit, and some tentativeness, returned in the second period against Tampa Bay.
"You certainly have to respect what they have over there. But there's something to giving them too much respect, and that can't happen," Granato said.
The Lightning controlled play for most of the second period. Even zone entries were difficult for Buffalo, but the Sabres passed up shots when opportunity was there, including a forced pass by Caggiula to Victor Olofsson, who scored the game's opening goal in the first period.
Girardi coached the Sabres’ defensemen and penalty kill after Granato took over as interim coach on March 17. This season, he holds the title of development coach.
Jeff Skinner’s shot from in tight was the Sabres’ first of the second period. The Lightning, meanwhile, peppered Anderson with 25 shots through 40 minutes. The unsuccessful shot by Skinner began a momentum shift.
Dahlin followed with a perfect cross-ice pass to Anders Bjork, whose one-timer forced Brian Elliott to make a split save. Caggiula delivered the breakthrough goal by collecting a loose puck in the neutral zone, skating past Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev and beating Elliott with a low shot for a 2-1 lead.
Still, Granato and his players weren't satisfied.
Hinostroza pushed the lead to 3-1 when he grabbed a loose puck near the blue line, skated to the high slot and unleashed a shot that beat Elliott at 4:25 into the third period. Olofsson and Robert Hagg added empty-net goals, securing a victory and showing the Sabres how they need to play to beat the league's best.
"We came out flying in the third and pushed back," Caggiula said. "That's the way we need to play. We need to play in your face. We want to be the ones dictating the pace, and we did a good job closing that one out."
Here are more observations from the game Monday night:
1. Open-minded
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the defending Stanley Cup champions the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-1 at KeyBank Center on Monday, Oct. 25, 2021.
Granato isn’t going to shelter his young players from difficult matchups. Those opportunities won’t be given to only certain lines this early in the season. Tage Thompson, who is still learning how to play center in the NHL, took a defensive-zone faceoff against Steven Stamkos early in the first period.
Thompson won the draw and his shot from the left wing created the rebound that Olofsson potted for a 1-0 Sabres lead at 4:16 into the game. Granato will eventually match up lines against specific opposition, but that won’t occur until he has more time to evaluate his players. He had that luxury with the Sabres playing five of their first six games at home.
2. Progress
Olofsson should send Elliott a gift basket for the rebound that led to the opening goal. Even Sabretooth could have scored in that situation. But this is the latest example of what Olofsson needs to do to be a well-rounded NHLer. While Olofsson is a threat on the power play, he hasn’t been good enough at 5-on-5 since making his debut with Buffalo in 2019. The issue is getting to the net.
Many young, talented shooters drift from the net because they possess a one-time shot. It can take years to get rid of the bad habit. Although Olofsson leads the team with four goals, he entered Monday ranked 11th among all Sabres forwards in individual shot quality at even strength, according to NaturalStatTrick.com. He had also created only one high danger scoring chance through five games.
The Sabres need his goal to be a sign of what’s to come.
3. Luck at last
Caggiula’s been plagued by bad luck since the start of last season, as he shot only 3.3% during his 21 games with Arizona prior to joining the Sabres. He’s been a perfect fit under Granato, using his speed to pressure the puck on defense and earn chances at the other end of the ice. After failing to score on a breakaway Saturday night in New Jersey, Caggiula cashed in against Elliott.
The Sabres need their role players to finish and Caggiula will earn chances with his relentless play.
4. Next
The Sabres will have consecutive practice days before flying out west for a four-game road trip, which begins Thursday night in Anaheim. Puck drop against the Ducks is scheduled for 10 p.m.
