Jake Guentzel stole the show in the Lightning’s 6-5 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday. Things didn’t go as well for Nikita Kucherov, who was benched after a brutal giveaway—his reaction on the bench was absolutely hilarious.
The Lightning improved to 9-1 in their last ten games, while the Sabres suffered their fifth straight loss. Buffalo held a two-goal lead at one point, but Tampa Bay clawed back, thanks in large part to Jake Guentzel.
The star forward recorded a hat trick, scoring three straight goals for the Lightning. He tied the game at 3-3, then struck again in the third period to cut Buffalo’s lead to 5-4. Later, he completed the comeback with the game-tying goal to make it 5-5.
Nikita Kucherov’s hilarious reaction
Newly acquired Oliver Bjorkstrand then netted the game-winner, assisted by Yanni Gourde and Nikita Kucherov. It was Kucherov’s second assist of the night, but overall, he had a game to forget.
Kucherov looked careless on a brutal turnover that led to a goal by Buffalo’s JJ Peterka. Lightning head coach Jon Cooper made his frustration clear, benching Kucherov for the rest of the period. The superstar forward looked devastated, standing motionless on the bench, staring blankly at the ice. A video of his reaction quickly went viral, with fans finding it absolutely hilarious.
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