BUFFALO, N.Y. — With a shy smile and a wave to the audience, Lightning forward Zemgus Girgensons relived his past moments when the Sabres honored his first return after he left Buffalo last year. Though his first decade in the NHL with the Sabres holds many cherished memories, Girgensons now sets his sights on a new experience with Tampa Bay: participating in his very first playoff game.
The 31-year-old expressed his excitement after a 3-2 shootout loss, but took solace in knowing Tampa Bay secured its eighth consecutive postseason appearance after the New York Rangers fell 4-0 against New Jersey earlier in the day.
While playoff appearances are a familiar routine for the Lightning, entering the postseason for an 11th time in 12 years, it’s an entirely new experience for Girgensons. Drafted in the first round in 2012, the Latvian player endured 688 games with the Sabres, a team poised to continue its NHL-record playoff drought into a 14th season.
“The playoff potential of the team was a big factor in my decision,” Girgensons said, referencing Tampa Bay’s storied playoff past and his choice to sign a three-year deal with the Lightning as a free agent. “It felt like it was meant to be.”
The Lightning’s next mission is to secure home-ice advantage in the initial playoff round by finishing second in the Atlantic Division and possibly aiming for the first position. By earning a point against Buffalo, Tampa Bay gained a two-point lead over third-place Florida but trailed four points behind division-leading Toronto, with all teams having six games left to play.
Home-ice advantage is crucial for a Lightning team, which has been ousted in the first round the past two years. This follows a trio of years reaching the Stanley Cup Final, claiming titles in 2020 and 2021, but succumbing to Colorado in 2022.
On a 4-1-1 streak in their past six games, Tampa Bay stumbled with two consecutive losses, including a 2-1 defeat at Ottawa on Thursday. Facing Buffalo, the Lightning surrendered a 2-1 lead due to Jason Zucker’s power-play goal early in the third period, followed by Jack Quinn and Alex Tuch clinching the game in a shootout.
This marked only the third occurrence in 38 games this season where Tampa Bay lost after leading through two periods (35-1-2). “Securing the playoff spot is great, but we must close these games,” commented coach Jon Cooper. “We need to aim for home ice. Every point counts. Kudos to the guys for earning one, but it’s unfortunate not to gain two.”
Backup goalie Jonas Johansson’s impressive 36 saves, including 12 in the final period, were pivotal in avoiding a regulation defeat. Notable were his glove save against JJ Peterka and the stop on Tage Thompson’s close-range attempt with just over a minute left.
Tampa Bay’s Brayden Point, who netted his 39th goal, acknowledged Buffalo’s prowess. “They play exceptionally, but Jo had to make too many outstanding saves. It’s an area for improvement, especially with the playoffs on the horizon.”
Girgensons admitted feeling nervous in his return to Buffalo, smiling when recalling the video tribute moments. “I’m not fond of the spotlight, so I hoped it wasn’t drawn out,” he chuckled. “A win would have made the night even better.”