Buffalo, NY (My Sportsbook) - Thomas Vanek, the NHL's leading goal-scorer tied the game and was also responsible for the game-winning goal late in the second period, as the Buffalo Sabres beat the Lightning, 4-2, sending Tampa Bay to its ninth consecutive loss.

Jason Pominville had a goal and two assists, and Drew Stafford also scored for the Sabres, who rallied from a 2-0 deficit to earn their third straight win. Ryan Miller stopped 26 of the 28 shots he faced for the Sabres, who beat the Lightning for the seventh time in the last eight meetings.

Martin St. Louis and Mark Recchi had the goals for the Lightning, who haven't won since November 21 at home against Nashville. Mike Smith made 33 saves in defeat.

Buffalo was behind 2-1 going to the second period, but tied the game at the 11:52 mark. Ales Kotalik put a perfect cross-ice pass on the stick of Vanek, who went in all by himself and beat Smith for his league-leading 21st goal of the year.

With only 14.4 seconds remaining in the second period and while on the power play, the Sabres got the eventual game-winning goal when Vanek took a pass from Derek Roy and skated in uncontested and put a backhand high to beat Smith.

The Lightning had a golden opportunity with Smith pulled in the waning seconds of regulation when they went on a power play with 44.9 seconds remaining, but they couldn't capitalize.

Kotalik went off for boarding, but with 12.9 seconds remaining in regulation, Pominville capped the scoring with an empty net, short-handed goal.

St. Louis opened the scoring when he one-timed a slapshot from the short side off a pass from Steven Stamkos, beating Smith for his eighth goal of the season at 10:21 of the opening period.

Recchi added to the lead for Tampa, after he put in a rebound off a shot from Paul Ranger for his seventh goal of the season. Smith stopped a Ranger shot that he had taken from just inside the blue line, but he could not control the rebound and Recchi tapped it in the open net at the 16:18 mark.

Stafford then scored with less than a minute remaining in the first on the power play.

Game Notes

This was the third meeting of the season between the Sabres and Lightning, with the teams splitting the first two games. Buffalo beat the Lightning 4-3 just four days ago...The Lightning are 1-7-4 since firing Barry Melrose in mid-November...It was Vanek's sixth two-goal game this season...Lightning forward Ryan Malone missed his third straight game because of an upper-body injury, while forward Adam Hall was scratched, also for an upper-body injury.