Emil Lilleberg has cemented himself as a mainstay on the Tampa Bay Lightning's defense this season. Heading into the club's April 13 contest against the Buffalo Sabres, the 24-year-old blueliner had 18 assists, 103 penalty minutes, and 112 hits in 73 games this season. With numbers like these, the 2021 fourth-round pick has given the Lightning's blueline plenty more bite and toughness.
Now, Lilleberg has set a big milestone, as the 6-foot-3 defenseman scored his first NHL goal against the Sabres. His goal was a nice one, too, as he one-timed Mitchell Chaffee's feed from the point past Sabres goaltender James Reimer. Emil Lilleberg blasts home his first NHL goal!
This was a great way for Lilleberg to score his first NHL goal. While he is more known for being a stay-at-home, hard-nosed defenseman, he certainly showed off his good shot with this goal. It will now be intriguing to see how Lilleberg builds off scoring his first career NHL goal from here.
The Lightning exploded for five unanswered goals in the second period on Sunday to take down the Buffalo Sabres 7-4 at AMALIE Arena. Jake Guentzel opened the scoring with his rebound goal in the first period, but the Sabres scored twice in quick fashion to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.
Tampa Bay responded with four goals in the second period, which included Ryan McDonagh’s game-tying goal, Nikita Kucherov’s 3-2 marker to take the NHL scoring lead, a first NHL goal for defenseman Emil Lilleberg, and rookie Conor Geekie’s goal in his first game with the Lightning since February.
Kucherov and Guentzel each scored their second goals of the night in the third period, and Buffalo had a power-play goal before closing the scoring late. Kucherov led all players with three points, while goalie Jonas Johansson made 21 saves for the win.
In the first period, Guentzel put Tampa Bay in front with 3:25 left. However, Buffalo quickly responded, taking the lead with two goals in the final 30 seconds of the period. Jiri Kulich and Connor Clifton scored for the Sabres, giving them a brief 2-1 lead.
But the second period was all Lightning. Ryan McDonagh tied it up early at 3:02, and Nikita Kucherov then scored to give Tampa Bay a 3-2 lead. Conor Geekie added to the score with his own goal, and Lilleberg capped off the period with his first career NHL goal at 16:45.
In the third period, Kucherov scored again to extend the lead, while Buffalo's Alex Tuch found the net on a power play to pull the Sabres within three goals. The final goal for Tampa Bay came from Guentzel, who secured his second of the night.
Despite the loss, Buffalo's coach Lindy Ruff remains stuck on 899 career wins, needing just one more to join an elite group of coaches with 900 wins, including Scotty Bowman and Joel Quenneville.
For the Lightning, the news isn't all good, as winger Oliver Bjorkstrand will be out week-to-week due to a lower-body injury. Additionally, Luke Glendening is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury.
The Lightning's next game is on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, against the Florida Panthers, as they look to build on this momentum. With Kucherov leading the league with 119 points, fans are eager to see how the team performs in their final regular season home game.
The victory over Buffalo marked a crucial point in the season for Tampa Bay, especially with the playoffs on the horizon. As the team continues to battle through injuries and lineup changes, the emergence of players like Emil Lilleberg will be vital for their success.
With the playoffs approaching, Tampa Bay will need to maintain their intensity and focus, especially as they face off against a tough Florida Panthers team next. The Lightning have shown they can score in bunches, and if they can tighten up defensively, they could be a formidable opponent come playoff time.
As for the Sabres, they have now gone winless in three games (0-2-1) after a five-game winning streak. They’ll be looking to turn things around quickly as they prepare to host the Toronto Maple Leafs on the same night Tampa Bay faces Florida.
In summary, Emil Lilleberg's first NHL goal adds a bright spot to an already exciting game for the Lightning, who displayed their offensive prowess in a thrilling matchup against the Sabres. With the season winding down, every game matters, and both teams are feeling the pressure as they aim for a strong finish.
