Lightning vs. Sabres Tuesday NHL odds, props: Steven Stamkos expected to miss second straight game for struggling Tampa Bay

The first two months of this NHL season were always going to be a bit unpredictable for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Future Hall of Fame goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is still sidelined as he recovers from back surgery he underwent this summer. The former Vezina and Conn Smythe Trophy has been missed, and the Bolts look to avoid a 0-3 start on the road as they visit Buffalo on Tuesday night. Now they'll also be without superstar forward Steven Stamkos. The Sabres are short favorites on the SportsLine consensus.

Stamkos was scratched shortly before Sunday's game in Ottawa with a lower-body injury (injuries are never specified in the NHL) -- enough time for me to put a bet down fading the Lightning without him, and they lost 5-2. Stamkos is second on the team with four points (two goals, two assists) in his two games and has a plus-1 rating -- a rare plus rating on a team that ranks third from last in the league in allowing 4.67 goals per game. That's part of the pain of Vasilevskiy's absence.

The Sabres definitely will not miss Stamkos, who has points in six straight games vs. Buffalo (four goals, seven assists). He is set for free agency after this season, and many believe the Lightning will trade him if they are buried when Vasilevskiy returns. Boston and Buffalo have often been mentioned as potential landing spots.

Fellow Bolts forward Nikita Kucherov is riding a 13-game point streak vs. the Sabres (10 goals, 13 assists) and has points in six straight contests at Buffalo (five goals, seven points). He is +170 at DraftKings for an anytime goal. Brayden Point has a six-game points streak in the series (five goals, six assists) and has scored a goal in four consecutive matchups. Point is +110 for an anytime goal.

Jonas Johansson is the No. 1 in net for Tampa Bay while Vasilevskiy is out, and Johansson is 1-1 with a 4.09 GAA and .889 SV. He played solidly at home last Tuesday in a win over Nashville (Tampa Bay's lone win so far) but allowed five goals on Saturday in a loss at Detroit. The 28-year-old's first two NHL seasons were with Buffalo, although he didn't play a lot.

Buffalo has the NHL's longest playoff drought (thus, ownership is expected to be trade active for someone like Stamkos if need be) but is loaded with talent despite an 0-2 start that has seen the Sabres total only three goals. They have faced two defensive-minded teams in the Islanders and Rangers, who have a similar style of play.

Devon Levi (0-2, 3.55 GAA, .881 SV) is expected in net for the Sabres, and winger Tage Thompson is the +100 favorite for an anytime goal tonight. He hasn't scored after tallying a career-high 47 goals in 2022-23.

The Lightning were 2-1-1 vs. the Sabres last year and 1-1-1 in Buffalo. 

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