Tampa Bay Lightning at Buffalo Sabres
NHL game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres on Mar 08, 2026. Final score: Tampa Bay Lightning 7, Buffalo Sabres 8.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Mar 08, 2026 |
| Venue | KeyBank Center |
| Tampa Bay Lightning score | 7 |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 8 |
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 | Tage Thompson | C | 0 | 4 | 3 | 19:39 | 0.15 | 2.81 |
| 2nd | Nikita Kucherov | R | 2 | 1 | 5 | 19:15 | 0.37 | 2.19 |
| 3rd | J.J. Moser | D | 1 | 2 | 3 | 26:17 | 0.61 | 2.13 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Tampa Bay Lightning–Buffalo Sabres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 08:26 | BUF | Josh Doan | Tage Thompson, Bowen Byram | 5v4 | 0–1 |
| 2nd 02:15 | BUF | Jason Zucker | Rasmus Dahlin, Tage Thompson | 5v4 | 0–2 |
| 2nd 05:10 | BUF | Alex Tuch | Tage Thompson, Noah Ostlund | 5v4 | 0–3 |
| 2nd 07:55 | TBL | Corey Perry | Nikita Kucherov, Darren Raddysh | 5v5 | 1–3 |
| 2nd 11:07 | BUF | Alex Tuch | Bowen Byram | 4v5 | 1–4 |
| 2nd 12:26 | TBL | Nikita Kucherov | Darren Raddysh | 4v5 | 2–4 |
| 2nd 14:46 | TBL | Zemgus Girgensons | Yanni Gourde, J.J. Moser | 5v5 | 3–4 |
| 2nd 17:37 | TBL | J.J. Moser | Conor Geekie | 5v5 | 4–4 |
| 3rd 00:59 | TBL | Nikita Kucherov | Brandon Hagel, J.J. Moser | 5v5 | 5–4 |
| 3rd 05:46 | TBL | Brayden Point | — | 5v5 | 6–4 |
| 3rd 06:12 | BUF | Sam Carrick | Zach Benson, Michael Kesselring | 5v5 | 6–5 |
| 3rd 09:48 | TBL | Brandon Hagel | Anthony Cirelli, Darren Raddysh | 5v5 | 7–5 |
| 3rd 11:03 | BUF | Rasmus Dahlin | Tage Thompson, Bowen Byram | 5v5 | 7–6 |
| 3rd 14:29 | BUF | Jason Zucker | Ryan McLeod | 5v5 | 7–7 |
| 3rd 15:43 | BUF | Josh Doan | Jason Zucker, Rasmus Dahlin | 5v4 | 7–8 |
Team Comparison
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Buffalo Sabres | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 7 | 8 |
| Shots on goal | 28 | 42 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 3.92 | 4.77 |
| High-danger shots | 18 | 18 |
| Corsi % | 50.8% | 49.2% |
| Power play | 1/4 | 4/6 |
| Faceoff % | 50.0% | 50.0% |
| Hits | 40 | 27 |
| Blocks | 6 | 15 |
| Giveaways | 11 | 14 |
| Takeaways | 2 | 5 |
Tampa Bay Lightning Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikita Kucherov | R | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 19:15 | 0.37 | 2.19 |
| J.J. Moser | D | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 26:17 | 0.61 | 2.13 |
| Darren Raddysh | D | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 23:13 | 0.14 | 1.44 |
| Conor Geekie | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7:33 | 0.07 | 0.99 |
| Brayden Point | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 17:13 | 0.31 | 0.85 |
| Zemgus Girgensons | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 15:48 | 0.16 | 0.80 |
| Brandon Hagel | L | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 16:42 | 0.55 | 0.61 |
| Anthony Cirelli | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 18:55 | 0.45 | 0.59 |
| Yanni Gourde | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 18:39 | 0.22 | 0.59 |
| Corey Perry | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8:54 | 0.16 | 0.33 |
| Pontus Holmberg | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:17 | 0.03 | 0.20 |
| Oliver Bjorkstrand | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14:02 | 0.14 | 0.05 |
| Victor Hedman | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 20:07 | 0.07 | 0.05 |
| Ryan McDonagh | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20:41 | 0.01 | -0.05 |
| Jake Guentzel | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:44 | 0.18 | -0.05 |
| Scott Sabourin | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4:17 | 0.00 | -0.22 |
| Erik Cernak | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6:47 | 0.00 | -0.52 |
| Charle-Edouard D'Astous | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:37 | 0.08 | -0.75 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tage Thompson | C | 0 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 19:39 | 0.15 | 2.81 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 16:42 | 1.77 | 2.09 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 18:54 | 0.39 | 1.75 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 26:16 | 0.13 | 1.70 |
| Josh Doan | R | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 18:25 | 0.49 | 1.60 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 20:12 | 0.40 | 1.12 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14:15 | 0.14 | 0.74 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 21:03 | 0.10 | 0.64 |
| Sam Carrick | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6:03 | 0.26 | 0.57 |
| Noah Ostlund | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 16:34 | 0.16 | 0.54 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15:19 | 0.56 | 0.15 |
| Josh Norris | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:55 | 0.03 | 0.10 |
| Michael Kesselring | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6:03 | 0.02 | 0.06 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 24:57 | 0.10 | 0.05 |
| Zach Metsa | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:55 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27:08 | 0.02 | -0.05 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6:03 | 0.00 | -0.27 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8:46 | 0.02 | -0.42 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonas Johansson | Tampa Bay Lightning | 34 | 42 | 81.0% | -2.31 | L |
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | Buffalo Sabres | 22 | 28 | 78.6% | -4.36 | W |
Analysis
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 8–7 on Mar 08, 2026, a one-goal game.
Buffalo Sabres generated 4.77 expected goals to Tampa Bay Lightning's 3.92 — Buffalo Sabres edged the chance share as well as the scoreline.
Tage Thompson led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.81 on 4 assists, 3 shots on goal.
Jonas Johansson stopped 34 of 42, worth -2.31 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Tampa Bay Lightning vs Buffalo Sabres game?
The Buffalo Sabres beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 8–7 on Mar 08, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Buffalo Sabres 8, Tampa Bay Lightning 7.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Tage Thompson led all skaters at 2.81, on 0G, 4A and 3 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Buffalo Sabres generated 4.77 expected goals and Tampa Bay Lightning generated 3.92, so Buffalo Sabres created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Tampa Bay Lightning put 28 shots on goal and Buffalo Sabres put 42. High-danger chances went 18 to 18.
How did the goaltenders play?
Jonas Johansson stopped 34 of 42 (-2.31 goals saved above expected); Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 22 of 28 (-4.36 goals saved above expected).