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Tampa, Fla. • Jhonas Enroth stole the spotlight from Tampa Bay star Steven Stamkos.
Enroth made 43 saves to spoil the return of Stamkos and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Lightning 3-1 on Thursday night.
Stamkos had been sidelined since breaking his right shin Nov. 11 at Boston, causing him to miss 45 games. The center received a partial standing ovation during pregame introductions, when it was announced that he is the new team captain.
"For the most part I felt good," said Stamkos, who played 21:03. "It's a step in the right direction. You can feel it a little out there as the play progresses, but I felt like I played a lot tonight and felt pretty good. As the game went on, my timing felt great with the puck."
Right wing Ryan Callahan, acquired Wednesday from the New York Rangers for former Tampa Bay captain Martin St. Louis, made his Lightning debut.
Avalanche 3, Red Wings 2 (OT) • In Detroit, Andre Benoit scored off an assist from rookie Nathan MacKinnon with 31.4 seconds left in overtime, lifting Colorado.
MacKinnon has a point in 13 straight games, breaking Wayne Gretzky's record for an 18-year-old NHL player that he set during the 1979-80 season.