Jake Guentzel records a hat trick and Oliver Bjorkstrand scores in his Bolts debut as Tampa Bay wins a wild one over Buffalo

The Tampa Bay Lightning’s recent acquisition, Yanni Gourde, posted a heartfelt note of thanks addressed to his former team, the Seattle Kraken.

Guentzel’s second goal of the game cut it to 5-4 at 17:43, scoring from close range off a pass from Brayden Point. He completed the hat trick at 18:46 with a power-play goal to tie it 5-5, a one-timer from the right circle off a pass from Brandon Hagel.

Losing top defenseman and captain Victor Hedman is something the Lightning can't afford with the postseason on the horizon.

Jake Guentzel provided a hat-trick and newly-acquired Yanni Gourde assisted Oliver Bjorkstrand’s game-winning goal as the Lightning battled back from a 5-3 deficit to edge the Buffalo Sabres, 6-5, on Thursday evening.

So, even though Bjorkstrand was coming to Tampa with a familiar face in former Seattle teammate Yanni Gourde ... When a scrum started around the Sabres net, Buffalo defenseman Rasmus Dahlin ...

Jake Guentzel had a hat trick, Oliver Bjorkstrand scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period, and Tampa Bay Lightning rallied for a 6-5 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night. Bjorkstrand scored on a wrist shot with 18:20 remaining,

Newcomer Oliver Bjorkstrand had the go-ahead goal in the third period of his Tampa Bay debut as the Lightning rallied past the visiting Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night for their 11th win in 13 games.

One year ago, before the NHL trade deadline, Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams said that he would not have an issue with his club acting as a middleman to facilitate a trade between two other clubs or to lower the cap hit to trade one of his players to a contender with limited cap space,

Tampa Bay brings calm to a wide-open contest in the third period and rallies to win for the 10th time in 11 games.

Lightning forward Yanni Gourde rejoins Tampa Bay after they lost him to Seattle in the expansion draft four years ago. Now, the two-time Stanley Cup champ can't wait to skate where his career started.

Yanni Gourde has returned to the Tampa Bay Lightning after the Seattle Kraken traded him as part of a multi-team deal on Wednesday.