Buffalo Sabres at Florida Panthers
NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Florida Panthers on Feb 02, 2026. Final score: Buffalo Sabres 5, Florida Panthers 3.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Feb 02, 2026 |
| Venue | Amerant Bank Arena |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 5 |
| Florida Panthers score | 3 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Peyton Krebs | C | 1 | 2 | 1 | 19:27 | 0.14 | 2.67 |
| 2nd | A.J. Greer | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 15:08 | 0.28 | 1.85 |
| 3rd | Sandis Vilmanis | L | 1 | 0 | 2 | 14:13 | 0.12 | 1.71 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Buffalo Sabres–Florida Panthers) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 00:37 | FLA | Sandis Vilmanis | A.J. Greer, Niko Mikkola | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 1st 05:54 | FLA | Evan Rodrigues | Sam Reinhart, Tobias Bjornfot | 5v5 | 0–2 |
| 1st 15:03 | BUF | Tage Thompson | Peyton Krebs, Rasmus Dahlin | 5v5 | 1–2 |
| 1st 18:26 | BUF | Peyton Krebs | Rasmus Dahlin, Alex Tuch | 5v5 | 2–2 |
| 2nd 05:44 | BUF | Zach Benson | Ryan McLeod, Owen Power | 5v5 | 3–2 |
| 2nd 18:59 | FLA | Uvis Balinskis | Sam Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe | 5v4 | 3–3 |
| 3rd 05:31 | BUF | Jason Zucker | Josh Doan, Jack Quinn | 4v5 | 4–3 |
| 3rd 17:51 | BUF | Josh Doan | Peyton Krebs, Ryan McLeod | 5v5 | 5–3 |
Team Comparison
| Buffalo Sabres | Florida Panthers | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 5 | 3 |
| Shots on goal | 20 | 42 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 3.29 | 4.99 |
| High-danger shots | 8 | 18 |
| Corsi % | 37.7% | 62.3% |
| Power play | 1/3 | 1/4 |
| Faceoff % | 49.2% | 50.8% |
| Hits | 23 | 22 |
| Blocks | 20 | 13 |
| Giveaways | 17 | 17 |
| Takeaways | 2 | 7 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peyton Krebs | C | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 19:27 | 0.14 | 2.67 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 21:54 | 0.09 | 1.59 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 16:54 | 0.29 | 1.40 |
| Josh Doan | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 16:22 | 0.30 | 1.33 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 22:27 | 0.08 | 0.99 |
| Zach Benson | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 14:10 | 0.26 | 0.93 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 24:17 | 0.02 | 0.88 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 20:14 | 0.90 | 0.66 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 16:00 | 0.26 | 0.51 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:04 | 0.00 | 0.40 |
| Tyson Kozak | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:14 | 0.11 | 0.39 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 16:13 | 0.47 | 0.19 |
| Isak Rosen | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3:08 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Zach Metsa | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7:30 | 0.00 | -0.28 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22:54 | 0.00 | -0.31 |
| Noah Ostlund | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:15 | 0.00 | -0.56 |
| Michael Kesselring | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:48 | 0.01 | -0.58 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 27:26 | 0.08 | -0.65 |
Florida Panthers Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A.J. Greer | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15:08 | 0.28 | 1.85 |
| Sandis Vilmanis | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 14:13 | 0.12 | 1.71 |
| Tobias Bjornfot | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11:01 | 0.11 | 1.44 |
| Cole Schwindt | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14:24 | 0.87 | 1.11 |
| Sam Reinhart | C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 24:41 | 0.51 | 1.06 |
| Niko Mikkola | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 20:19 | 0.03 | 0.82 |
| Evan Rodrigues | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 24:09 | 0.68 | 0.78 |
| Uvis Balinskis | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 24:57 | 0.30 | 0.68 |
| Jeff Petry | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:00 | 0.01 | 0.40 |
| Gustav Forsling | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23:16 | 0.03 | 0.40 |
| Aaron Ekblad | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 20:15 | 0.05 | 0.38 |
| Jesper Boqvist | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6:14 | 0.01 | 0.31 |
| Luke Kunin | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6:58 | 0.18 | 0.24 |
| Mackie Samoskevich | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10:50 | 0.46 | 0.00 |
| Eetu Luostarinen | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17:04 | 0.05 | -0.06 |
| Sam Bennett | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5:11 | 0.00 | -0.25 |
| Carter Verhaeghe | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 22:53 | 0.81 | -0.26 |
| Matthew Tkachuk | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 24:07 | 0.23 | -0.85 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Lyon | Buffalo Sabres | 39 | 42 | 92.9% | 2.10 | W |
| Sergei Bobrovsky | Florida Panthers | 15 | 20 | 75.0% | -2.43 | L |
Analysis
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Florida Panthers 5–3 on Feb 02, 2026.
Florida Panthers generated 4.99 expected goals to Buffalo Sabres's 3.29 — Florida Panthers owned the better of the chances but Buffalo Sabres took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it.
Peyton Krebs led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.67 on 1 goal, 2 assists, 1 shots on goal.
Alex Lyon stopped 39 of 42, worth 2.1 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Buffalo Sabres vs Florida Panthers game?
The Buffalo Sabres beat the Florida Panthers 5–3 on Feb 02, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Buffalo Sabres 5, Florida Panthers 3.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Peyton Krebs led all skaters at 2.67, on 1G, 2A and 1 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Florida Panthers generated 4.99 expected goals and Buffalo Sabres generated 3.29, so Florida Panthers created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Buffalo Sabres put 20 shots on goal and Florida Panthers put 42. High-danger chances went 8 to 18.
How did the goaltenders play?
Alex Lyon stopped 39 of 42 (2.1 goals saved above expected); Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 15 of 20 (-2.43 goals saved above expected).