Tampa, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Steven Stamkos scored the game-winning goal late in the third period to lift the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 2-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday. Valtteri Filppula also scored and Ben Bishop made 20 saves for the Lightning, who have won seven of their last eight games to tie idle Anaheim and Nashville with an NHL-high 58 points. They were getting a little bit tired ... we just kept pressing, Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. Cody McCormick provided a short-handed goal and Michal Neuvirth kept the Sabres in the game by stopping 45 shots in the teams seventh straight loss. So close. We were working hard, said Neuvirth. Tough to swallow right now, but thought we gave it our best. Stamkos accepted Jonathan Drouins cross-ice feed off a 2-on-1, waited for Neuvirth to go down and cooly shot the puck over the Buffalo netminder to account for the final score with 5:18 remaining. The Sabres pulled the netminder with under a minute to play, but were unable to come up with the equalizer. Tampa Bay needed just 3:51 to open the scoring. Ryan Callahan emerged from behind the net and attempted to stuff the puck past Neuvirth. The disc squirted across the crease to Filppula, who backhanded it over the sprawling netminder for the games first goal. McCormick tied the score with a short-handed marker just 50 seconds into the second period. After Anton Stralman misplayed the puck along the boards in the Tampa Bay zone, Patrick Kaleta slipped the puck toward the slot and McCormick was there to beat Bishop with a quick wrister. The Lightning peppered Neuvirth with 27 shots during the middle stanza, but the game remained tied. Game Notes Bishop improved to 6-0-1 against the Sabres in his career ... McCormick tallied his first career short-handed goal ... The Lightning are 3-0-1 against the Sabres this season and will play host when the season series concludes on March 3. Bud Selig Brewers Jersey .Y. -- Cory Schneider has to make the most of his opportunities to guard the New Jersey Devils net to earn more playing time. Fake Brewers Jerseys . Solomon Elimimian did not make the trip with the team after suffering what appeared to be a right leg injury in the teams regular season finale against the Calgary Stampeders. https://www.cheapbrewers.com/ . -- Arizona coach Bruce Arians says there "were obviously very, very many problems" with the officiating in the Cardinals 24-21 loss at Philadelphia. Junior Guerra Brewers Jersey .J. -- Jaromir Jagr has hit so many NHL milestones this season for the New Jersey Devils that he is starting to downplay them. Hank Aaron Jersey . -- Aaron Rodgers isnt out for revenge in Green Bays season opener.Detroit, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - The Detroit Red Wings placed Jimmy Howard on injured reserve Sunday, one day after the goaltender left the ice on a stretcher. Late in the first period of Saturdays game against the Capitals, Howard left the puck behind the net for his defense to play. Instead, Capitals forward Troy Brouwer got the puck and quickly scored on a wraparound as Howard scrambled to get back into position. Howard hurt his groin while awkwardly extending his left leg trying to cover the post.dddddddddddd As a precaution, he was taken off the ice on a stretcher. Petr Mrazek replaced Howard in goal and gave up two goals in a 3-1 loss. Prior to the game, Howard was named to the All-Star Game. He has compiled a 16-7-7 record with a 2.11 GAA and .920 save percentage this season. The Red Wings recalled goaltender Tom McCollum from Grand Rapids to fill Howards spot on the roster. McCollum has appeared in his one NHL game in his career, and it came in relief back on Mar. 30, 2011. ' ' '