The Buffalo Sabres (24-31-6) fell just short in a high-scoring battle against the Tampa Bay Lightning (37-21-4), losing 6-5 on Thursday night at Amalie Arena.

(AP) — Jake Guentzel had a hat trick ... Andrei Vasilevskiy made 27 saves for the Lightning. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 20 saves for the Sabres. Sabres: Buffalo lost its fifth straight.

Lightning forward Jake Guentzel scored a hat-trick in the ... player in front of the net and slid by Buffalo goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. TBL 1, BUF 1 5:17 Rasmus Dahlin (11) - Ryan McLeod ...

“You’ve got to win games different ways down the stretch and in the playoffs,” said Lightning winger Jake Guentzel ... the puck past netminder Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen with his backhand.

Nick Paul’s centering pass hit the stick of Connor Clifton and caromed past Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen at 5:01 ... delivered a perfectly placed pass to Jake Guentzel for a redirection goal that ...

Jake Guentzel had a hat trick ... Andrei Vasilevskiy made 27 saves for the Lightning. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 20 saves for the Sabres. Sabres: Buffalo lost its fifth straight.

Jake Guentzel had a second-period hat trick ... Here are more items from the game: It was another rough night for Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. There weren’t the flat-out bad goals we’ve seen in ...

Jake Guentzel scored a pair of goals 1:03 ... off the sticks of Sabres defensemen on their way past goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Each time the Lightning scored, the Sabres answered.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen hasn’t been great this season, but his numbers don’t tell the entire story. Team defense has been atrocious on the whole this season. Jake Guentzel’s third of the night ...