Tampa Bay Lightning at Buffalo Sabres

Wednesday, December 18, 1996, 7:30 PM ET Marine Midland Arena, Buffalo Regular Season Final

Final score

The Buffalo Sabres beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5–3 on Wednesday, December 18, 1996 at home.

Final score, Tampa Bay Lightning at Buffalo Sabres
Team	Goals	1996-1997 record
Tampa Bay Lightning	3	32-40-10
at Buffalo Sabres	5	40-30-12

Goals by period, Tampa Bay Lightning at Buffalo Sabres
Team	1st period	2nd period	3rd period	Total
Tampa Bay Lightning	0	2	1	3
Buffalo Sabres	2	1	2	5

Shots on goal by period, Tampa Bay Lightning at Buffalo Sabres
Team	1st period	2nd period	3rd period	Total
Tampa Bay Lightning	7	15	10	32
Buffalo Sabres	12	6	7	25

Scoring summary

Every goal, Tampa Bay Lightning at Buffalo Sabres. Numbers in brackets are season totals.
Period	Time	Team	Goal	Assists	Type	Score
1st	09:42	Buffalo Sabres	Derek Plante (13)	Michal Grosek (8), Mike Wilson (5)	Even strength	TBL 0, BUF 1
1st	16:27	Buffalo Sabres	Dixon Ward (5)	Anatoli Semenov (4), Rob Ray (2)	Even strength	TBL 0, BUF 2
2nd	03:33	Buffalo Sabres	Jason Dawe (8)	Alexei Zhitnik (12)	Even strength	TBL 0, BUF 3
2nd	07:32	Tampa Bay Lightning	Roman Hamrlik (5)	Brian Bradley (9), Brantt Myhres (1)	Even strength	TBL 1, BUF 3
2nd	12:01	Tampa Bay Lightning	Dino Ciccarelli (15)	Daymond Langkow (1)	Even strength	TBL 2, BUF 3
3rd	01:38	Buffalo Sabres	Derek Plante (14)	Mike Wilson (6), Michal Grosek (9)	Even strength	TBL 2, BUF 4
3rd	15:10	Tampa Bay Lightning	Drew Bannister (3)	Chris Gratton (8), John Cullen (19)	Even strength	TBL 3, BUF 4
3rd	19:05	Buffalo Sabres	Matthew Barnaby (8)	Dominik Hasek (1)	Even strength, Empty net	TBL 3, BUF 5

Numbers in brackets are the player's season totals after the goal.

Tampa Bay Lightning skaters
Player	Position	Goals	Assists	Points	Plus/minus	Penalty minutes	Shots on goal
Number 7 R. Zamuner	L	0	0	0	-1	0	1
Number 10 P. Brousseau	R	0	0	0	-2	0	1
Number 11 S. Burr	L	0	0	0	-2	0	0
Number 12 J. Cullen	C	0	1	1	0	0	2
Number 18 D. Langkow	C	0	1	1	+2	0	3
Number 19 B. Bradley	C	0	1	1	-3	0	0
Number 22 D. Ciccarelli	R	1	0	1	0	0	1
Number 28 P. Poulin	L	0	0	0	-3	0	4
Number 29 A. Selivanov	R	0	0	0	0	0	1
Number 74 B. Myhres	R	0	1	1	+1	0	0
Number 77 C. Gratton	C	0	1	1	+1	0	4
Number 2 B. Houlder	D	0	0	0	-1	0	2
Number 4 C. Cross	D	0	0	0	0	4	2
Number 5 I. Ulanov	D	0	0	0	-1	0	0
Number 6 C. Wolanin	D	0	0	0	0	0	2
Number 20 R. Poeschek	D	0	0	0	0	0	3
Number 44 R. Hamrlik	D	1	0	1	-1	0	4
Number 55 D. Bannister	D	1	0	1	-1	0	2

Tampa Bay Lightning goalies
Goalie	Shots against	Saves	Goals against	Save percentage	Time on ice	Decision
Number 31 R. Tabaracci	24	20	4	.833	59:55	Loss

Buffalo Sabres skaters
Player	Position	Goals	Assists	Points	Plus/minus	Penalty minutes	Shots on goal
Number 10 B. May	L	0	0	0	0	0	2
Number 12 R. Burridge	L	0	0	0	0	0	2
Number 15 D. Ward	L	1	0	1	0	0	1
Number 17 J. Dawe	R	1	0	1	0	0	2
Number 18 M. Grosek	L	0	2	2	+3	0	1
Number 19 B. Holzinger	C	0	0	0	0	0	1
Number 26 D. Plante	C	2	0	2	+2	0	3
Number 27 M. Peca	C	0	0	0	0	0	1
Number 28 D. Audette	R	0	0	0	-1	2	1
Number 32 R. Ray	R	0	1	1	0	0	0
Number 36 M. Barnaby	R	1	0	1	+2	0	1
Number 93 A. Semenov	C	0	1	1	0	0	1
Number 3 G. Galley	D	0	0	0	+1	0	0
Number 4 M. Wilson	D	0	2	2	+1	0	1
Number 6 R. Boughner	D	0	0	0	0	2	0
Number 8 D. Shannon	D	0	0	0	+2	0	3
Number 42 R. Smehlik	D	0	0	0	0	2	1
Number 44 A. Zhitnik	D	0	1	1	0	0	4

Buffalo Sabres goalies
Goalie	Shots against	Saves	Goals against	Save percentage	Time on ice	Decision
Number 39 D. Hasek	32	29	3	.906	59:58	Win

Penalties, Tampa Bay Lightning at Buffalo Sabres
Period	Time	Team	Player	Infraction	Minutes
1st	16:42	Tampa Bay Lightning	Cory Cross	Holding	2
2nd	08:54	Tampa Bay Lightning	Cory Cross	Holding the stick	2
2nd	15:03	Buffalo Sabres	Richard Smehlik	Holding obstruction	2
3rd	05:35	Buffalo Sabres	Bob Boughner	Holding	2
3rd	13:06	Buffalo Sabres	Donald Audette	Hooking	2

Tampa Bay Lightning head coach: Terry Crisp
Buffalo Sabres head coach: Ted Nolan
Referees: Bill McCreary
Linesmen: Gordon Broseker, Pierre Racicot
Tampa Bay Lightning scratches: Mikael Andersson, Daren Puppa, David Shaw, Jay Wells, Paul Ysebaert, Derek Wilkinson, Jeff Toms, Allan Egeland, Brent Peterson, Jason Wiemer
Buffalo Sabres scratches: Charlie Huddy, Pat LaFontaine, Ed Ronan, Barrie Moore, Ruman Ndur, Wayne Primeau, Curtis Brown, Vaclav Varada, Craig Millar, Jay McKee

Every Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres game in the 1996-1997 season
Matchup	Status	Details
Tampa Bay Lightning 4 at Buffalo Sabres 0	Final	Game page: Tampa Bay Lightning at Buffalo Sabres, Tue, Oct 15, 1996
Buffalo Sabres 3 at Tampa Bay Lightning 0	Final	Game page: Buffalo Sabres at Tampa Bay Lightning, Wed, Nov 27, 1996
Tampa Bay Lightning 3 at Buffalo Sabres 5	Final	Game page: Tampa Bay Lightning at Buffalo Sabres, Wed, Dec 18, 1996
Buffalo Sabres 3 at Tampa Bay Lightning 1	Final	Game page: Buffalo Sabres at Tampa Bay Lightning, Sat, Feb 8, 1997

Other NHL games on Wednesday, December 18, 1996
Matchup	Status	Details
Los Angeles Kings 0 at New York Rangers 4	Final	Game page: Los Angeles Kings at New York Rangers, Wed, Dec 18, 1996
Dallas Stars 3 at Chicago Blackhawks 2	Final/OT	Game page: Dallas Stars at Chicago Blackhawks, Wed, Dec 18, 1996
Detroit Red Wings 3 at Calgary Flames 3	Final/OT	Game page: Detroit Red Wings at Calgary Flames, Wed, Dec 18, 1996
Colorado Avalanche 4 at Edmonton Oilers 4	Final/OT	Game page: Colorado Avalanche at Edmonton Oilers, Wed, Dec 18, 1996
New Jersey Devils 2 at Vancouver Canucks 1	Final	Game page: New Jersey Devils at Vancouver Canucks, Wed, Dec 18, 1996