Ex-Files Day #8, former Sabres draftee scores twice to keep Tampa alive
The Tampa Bay Lightning have run into the issues that most longtime contenders do, with age affecting their core players, cap issues, and deadline trades costing them of the draft picks needed to replenish their roster.
Brandon Hagel was one of those players that cost the Lightning dearly, as they dealt a pair of first-round picks to Chicago at the 2022 Trade Deadline. Buffalo’s 2016 sixth-rounder signed with the Hawks after the Sabres passed on him and has scored 25, 30 and 26 goals in the last three seasons, playing in the Lightning’s top six.
The 25-year-old winger scored two goals and an assist in Tampa’s 6-3 win over the Panthers on Saturday to keep the Lightning alive in the best-of-seven series.
Here is how other ex-Sabres did on Saturday:
Florida Panthers - Sam Reinhart, Brandon Montour, Evan Rodrigues, Dmitri Kulikov, Kyle Okposo
Reinhart, 1 goal, 18:31 TOI, 4 SOG, -1
Montour, 1 assist, 24:10 TOI, 2 SOG, -1
Rodrigues, 1 assist, 13:20 TOI, 2 SOG, -1
Kulikov, 14:48 TOI, +2
Okposo, 9:06 TOI
Reinhart has continued to be a hot scorer in the postseason, notching his third goal in four playoff games. The Panthers head back to Florida leading 3-1 in the series.
Toronto Maple Leafs - Jake McCabe, Ilya Lyubushkin
McCabe, 19:09 TOI, -1
Lyubushkin, 1 assist, 17:31 TOI, +1
Leafs lose 3-1 to Boston and are one game away from another first-round elimination.
Vegas Golden Knights – Jack Eichel, Brayden McNabb, William Carrier
The former Sabres played a big part in the Golden Knights 3-2 overtime loss to Dallas on Saturday. McNabb scored a goal and assist and Eichel scored his second goal of the series to tie the game.
Eichel, 1 goal, 25:37 TOI, 6 SOG, +1
McNabb, 1 goal, 1 assist, 28:59 TOI, 4 SOG, +1
Carrier, 11:21 TOI, 1 SOG, -1
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