Buffalo Sabres at Tampa Bay Lightning
NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Feb 03, 2026. Final score: Buffalo Sabres 3, Tampa Bay Lightning 4.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Feb 03, 2026 |
| Venue | Benchmark International Arena |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 3 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning score | 4 |
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 | Nikita Kucherov | R | 1 | 3 | 7 | 22:24 | 0.66 | 2.62 |
| 2nd | Mattias Samuelsson | D | 2 | 0 | 3 | 24:01 | 0.09 | 1.55 |
| 3rd | Darren Raddysh | D | 1 | 1 | 3 | 25:48 | 0.41 | 1.44 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Buffalo Sabres–Tampa Bay Lightning) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 10:24 | TBL | Nikita Kucherov | Jake Guentzel | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 1st 16:53 | BUF | Mattias Samuelsson | — | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 3rd 04:08 | BUF | Mattias Samuelsson | Ryan McLeod, Jack Quinn | 5v5 | 2–1 |
| 3rd 08:53 | TBL | Oliver Bjorkstrand | Darren Raddysh, Nikita Kucherov | 5v4 | 2–2 |
| 3rd 14:53 | BUF | Josh Doan | Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin | 4v5 | 3–2 |
| 3rd 19:34 | TBL | Darren Raddysh | Nikita Kucherov, Brandon Hagel | 6v5 | 3–3 |
| OT 04:45 | TBL | Jake Guentzel | Nikita Kucherov, J.J. Moser | 3v3 | 3–4 |
Team Comparison
| Buffalo Sabres | Tampa Bay Lightning | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 3 | 4 |
| Shots on goal | 26 | 35 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.72 | 3.59 |
| High-danger shots | 10 | 17 |
| Corsi % | 45.4% | 54.6% |
| Power play | 1/3 | 1/2 |
| Faceoff % | 49.2% | 50.8% |
| Hits | 13 | 26 |
| Blocks | 9 | 10 |
| Giveaways | 22 | 14 |
| Takeaways | 9 | 6 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 24:01 | 0.09 | 1.55 |
| Josh Doan | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 16:29 | 0.96 | 0.70 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 17:50 | 0.07 | 0.69 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19:31 | 0.29 | 0.64 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 27:47 | 0.34 | 0.59 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 22:09 | 0.39 | 0.59 |
| Konsta Helenius | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:47 | 0.02 | 0.20 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:47 | 0.48 | 0.15 |
| Tyson Kozak | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:25 | 0.00 | 0.10 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:51 | 0.09 | 0.05 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22:38 | 0.19 | 0.05 |
| Zach Metsa | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:12 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:08 | 0.01 | 0.05 |
| Isak Rosen | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:17 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Jacob Bryson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:01 | 0.00 | -0.05 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:10 | 0.00 | -0.05 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23:37 | 0.04 | -0.15 |
| Noah Ostlund | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:36 | 0.00 | -0.20 |
Tampa Bay Lightning Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikita Kucherov | R | 1 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 22:24 | 0.66 | 2.62 |
| Darren Raddysh | D | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 25:48 | 0.41 | 1.44 |
| Jake Guentzel | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 26:07 | 0.42 | 1.39 |
| Oliver Bjorkstrand | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 15:04 | 0.87 | 0.80 |
| J.J. Moser | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 23:51 | 0.04 | 0.64 |
| Brandon Hagel | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 25:40 | 0.30 | 0.59 |
| Scott Sabourin | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6:03 | 0.14 | 0.25 |
| Zemgus Girgensons | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17:07 | 0.26 | 0.20 |
| Pontus Holmberg | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:31 | 0.06 | 0.15 |
| Declan Carlile | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:08 | 0.03 | 0.15 |
| Erik Cernak | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18:04 | 0.03 | 0.15 |
| Dominic James | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13:02 | 0.15 | 0.15 |
| Victor Hedman | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:39 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Yanni Gourde | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20:01 | 0.17 | 0.05 |
| Jack Finley | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7:43 | 0.13 | 0.05 |
| Curtis Douglas | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5:45 | 0.31 | -0.05 |
| Ryan McDonagh | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19:40 | 0.05 | -0.05 |
| Gage Goncalves | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:52 | 0.16 | -0.15 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colten Ellis | Buffalo Sabres | 31 | 35 | 88.6% | 0.17 | O |
| Andrei Vasilevskiy | Tampa Bay Lightning | 23 | 26 | 88.5% | -0.41 | W |
Analysis
The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4–3 on Feb 03, 2026, a one-goal game.
Tampa Bay Lightning generated 3.59 expected goals to Buffalo Sabres's 2.72 — Tampa Bay Lightning edged the chance share as well as the scoreline.
Nikita Kucherov led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.62 on 1 goal, 3 assists, 7 shots on goal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Buffalo Sabres vs Tampa Bay Lightning game?
The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Buffalo Sabres 4–3 on Feb 03, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Tampa Bay Lightning 4, Buffalo Sabres 3.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Nikita Kucherov led all skaters at 2.62, on 1G, 3A and 7 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Tampa Bay Lightning generated 3.59 expected goals and Buffalo Sabres generated 2.72, so Tampa Bay Lightning created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Buffalo Sabres put 26 shots on goal and Tampa Bay Lightning put 35. High-danger chances went 10 to 17.
How did the goaltenders play?
Colten Ellis stopped 31 of 35 (0.17 goals saved above expected); Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 23 of 26 (-0.41 goals saved above expected).