Buffalo Sabres at Tampa Bay Lightning
NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Feb 28, 2026. Final score: Buffalo Sabres 6, Tampa Bay Lightning 2.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Feb 28, 2026 |
| Venue | Benchmark International Arena |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 6 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning score | 2 |
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 | Rasmus Dahlin | D | 1 | 2 | 2 | 24:32 | 0.15 | 1.73 |
| 2nd | Josh Norris | C | 2 | 0 | 2 | 15:03 | 0.23 | 1.45 |
| 3rd | Zach Metsa | D | 1 | 1 | 3 | 13:08 | 0.25 | 1.39 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Buffalo Sabres–Tampa Bay Lightning) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 05:25 | BUF | Rasmus Dahlin | Owen Power | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 1st 06:15 | BUF | Josh Norris | Josh Doan, Zach Metsa | 5v5 | 2–0 |
| 1st 08:18 | BUF | Josh Norris | Bowen Byram, Zach Benson | 5v5 | 3–0 |
| 1st 15:06 | BUF | Tage Thompson | Peyton Krebs, Rasmus Dahlin | 5v5 | 4–0 |
| 2nd 01:54 | BUF | Zach Metsa | — | 5v5 | 5–0 |
| 2nd 16:03 | TBL | Dominic James | Oliver Bjorkstrand, Victor Hedman | 5v5 | 5–1 |
| 3rd 03:43 | BUF | Alex Tuch | Rasmus Dahlin, Jack Quinn | 4v5 | 6–1 |
| 3rd 05:27 | TBL | Victor Hedman | Darren Raddysh | 5v5 | 6–2 |
Team Comparison
| Buffalo Sabres | Tampa Bay Lightning | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 6 | 2 |
| Shots on goal | 35 | 38 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 3.62 | 3.10 |
| High-danger shots | 14 | 13 |
| Corsi % | 45.8% | 54.2% |
| Power play | 1/7 | 0/2 |
| Faceoff % | 48.4% | 51.6% |
| Hits | 16 | 28 |
| Blocks | 14 | 5 |
| Giveaways | 15 | 11 |
| Takeaways | 2 | 6 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 24:32 | 0.15 | 1.73 |
| Josh Norris | C | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 15:03 | 0.23 | 1.45 |
| Zach Metsa | D | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 13:08 | 0.25 | 1.39 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10:59 | 0.16 | 0.89 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 16:00 | 0.41 | 0.75 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 22:45 | 0.14 | 0.74 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 16:08 | 0.16 | 0.69 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 14:21 | 0.26 | 0.69 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 18:15 | 0.55 | 0.65 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 13:39 | 0.00 | 0.59 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 19:59 | 0.15 | 0.54 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:26 | 0.27 | 0.30 |
| Noah Ostlund | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:46 | 0.18 | 0.10 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20:21 | 0.27 | 0.05 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 24:08 | 0.09 | 0.00 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:05 | 0.14 | 0.00 |
| Tyson Kozak | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:04 | 0.00 | -0.05 |
| Michael Kesselring | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:40 | 0.00 | -0.30 |
Tampa Bay Lightning Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Hedman | D | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 16:53 | 0.12 | 1.34 |
| Dominic James | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 13:06 | 0.30 | 0.85 |
| Oliver Bjorkstrand | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 16:26 | 0.37 | 0.79 |
| Darren Raddysh | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 21:18 | 0.14 | 0.59 |
| Yanni Gourde | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:59 | 0.01 | 0.20 |
| Zemgus Girgensons | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15:03 | 0.18 | 0.15 |
| Erik Cernak | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:39 | 0.07 | 0.15 |
| Gage Goncalves | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8:17 | 0.33 | 0.15 |
| Emil Lilleberg | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 16:45 | 0.04 | 0.05 |
| J.J. Moser | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:46 | 0.06 | 0.05 |
| Pontus Holmberg | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:52 | 0.06 | 0.05 |
| Ryan McDonagh | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:16 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Brayden Point | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:52 | 0.00 | -0.05 |
| Nikita Kucherov | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 20:11 | 0.20 | -0.05 |
| Charle-Edouard D'Astous | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:50 | 0.00 | -0.10 |
| Anthony Cirelli | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:01 | 0.43 | -0.10 |
| Brandon Hagel | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 21:03 | 0.61 | -0.15 |
| Jake Guentzel | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13:02 | 0.34 | -1.20 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | Buffalo Sabres | 36 | 38 | 94.7% | -1.48 | W |
| Jonas Johansson | Tampa Bay Lightning | 20 | 21 | 95.2% | 1.81 | |
| Andrei Vasilevskiy | Tampa Bay Lightning | 9 | 14 | 64.3% | -2.98 | L |
Analysis
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 6–2 on Feb 28, 2026, a decisive 4-goal win.
Tampa Bay Lightning generated 3.1 expected goals to Buffalo Sabres's 3.62 — the run of play matched the result, with Buffalo Sabres earning the better chances as well as the goals.
Rasmus Dahlin led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.73 on 1 goal, 2 assists, 2 shots on goal.
Jonas Johansson stopped 20 of 21, worth 1.81 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Buffalo Sabres vs Tampa Bay Lightning game?
The Buffalo Sabres beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 6–2 on Feb 28, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Buffalo Sabres 6, Tampa Bay Lightning 2.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Rasmus Dahlin led all skaters at 1.73, on 1G, 2A and 2 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Tampa Bay Lightning generated 3.1 expected goals and Buffalo Sabres generated 3.62, so Buffalo Sabres created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Buffalo Sabres put 35 shots on goal and Tampa Bay Lightning put 38. High-danger chances went 14 to 13.
How did the goaltenders play?
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 36 of 38 (-1.48 goals saved above expected); Jonas Johansson stopped 20 of 21 (1.81 goals saved above expected).