Tampa Bay Lightning at Buffalo Sabres
NHL game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres on Apr 06, 2026. Final score: Tampa Bay Lightning 2, Buffalo Sabres 4.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Apr 06, 2026 |
| Venue | KeyBank Center |
| Tampa Bay Lightning score | 2 |
| Buffalo Sabres 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 | Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 2 | 1 | 21:16 | 0.00 | 2.10 |
| 2nd | Jake Guentzel | C | 1 | 1 | 6 | 24:54 | 0.66 | 1.88 |
| 3rd | Jason Zucker | L | 1 | 1 | 4 | 13:44 | 0.43 | 1.74 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Tampa Bay Lightning–Buffalo Sabres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 05:42 | BUF | Alex Tuch | Bowen Byram, Ryan McLeod | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 1st 11:45 | TBL | Nikita Kucherov | Jake Guentzel, Darren Raddysh | 4v5 | 1–1 |
| 1st 14:04 | BUF | Josh Norris | Josh Doan, Zach Benson | 5v5 | 1–2 |
| 2nd 03:56 | TBL | Jake Guentzel | Brayden Point, Darren Raddysh | 5v5 | 2–2 |
| 2nd 07:38 | BUF | Jason Zucker | Bowen Byram, Rasmus Dahlin | 5v5 | 2–3 |
| 3rd 18:06 | BUF | Jack Quinn | Jason Zucker, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 5v6 | 2–4 |
Team Comparison
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Buffalo Sabres | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 2 | 4 |
| Shots on goal | 25 | 29 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.46 | 3.49 |
| High-danger shots | 10 | 14 |
| Corsi % | 49.5% | 50.5% |
| Power play | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| Faceoff % | 52.5% | 47.5% |
| Hits | 28 | 22 |
| Blocks | 10 | 10 |
| Giveaways | 17 | 11 |
| Takeaways | 5 | 4 |
Tampa Bay Lightning Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Guentzel | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 24:54 | 0.66 | 1.88 |
| Darren Raddysh | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 25:45 | 0.18 | 1.34 |
| Nikita Kucherov | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 23:30 | 0.38 | 1.09 |
| Brayden Point | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 20:01 | 0.44 | 1.08 |
| Oliver Bjorkstrand | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:57 | 0.00 | 0.28 |
| J.J. Moser | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19:54 | 0.10 | 0.26 |
| Gage Goncalves | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19:17 | 0.18 | 0.17 |
| Zemgus Girgensons | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:29 | 0.00 | 0.15 |
| Scott Sabourin | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5:58 | 0.00 | 0.06 |
| Emil Lilleberg | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:58 | 0.01 | -0.13 |
| Mitchell Chaffee | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6:23 | 0.00 | -0.15 |
| Erik Cernak | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:58 | 0.03 | -0.15 |
| Nick Paul | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18:05 | 0.06 | -0.21 |
| Ryan McDonagh | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:44 | 0.06 | -0.33 |
| Charle-Edouard D'Astous | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 18:02 | 0.08 | -0.37 |
| Pontus Holmberg | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:21 | 0.00 | -0.38 |
| Corey Perry | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:36 | 0.08 | -0.42 |
| Yanni Gourde | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:03 | 0.00 | -0.51 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 21:16 | 0.00 | 2.10 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 13:44 | 0.43 | 1.74 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 17:31 | 0.00 | 1.18 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 23:01 | 0.07 | 0.96 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 14:24 | 0.52 | 0.88 |
| Josh Norris | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 17:10 | 0.18 | 0.77 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 17:59 | 0.71 | 0.71 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 14:40 | 0.07 | 0.71 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 17:44 | 0.40 | 0.51 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:53 | 0.11 | 0.51 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19:48 | 0.05 | 0.27 |
| Logan Stanley | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:40 | 0.01 | 0.16 |
| Josh Dunne | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7:58 | 0.09 | 0.16 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:56 | 0.20 | 0.14 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:37 | 0.01 | 0.14 |
| Luke Schenn | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:54 | 0.01 | -0.02 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22:44 | 0.04 | -0.04 |
| Jordan Greenway | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:19 | 0.04 | -0.08 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrei Vasilevskiy | Tampa Bay Lightning | 26 | 29 | 89.3% | -0.19 | L |
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | Buffalo Sabres | 23 | 25 | 92.0% | 0.26 | W |
Analysis
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 4–2 on Apr 06, 2026.
Buffalo Sabres generated 3.49 expected goals to Tampa Bay Lightning's 2.46 — the run of play matched the result, with Buffalo Sabres earning the better chances as well as the goals.
Bowen Byram led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.1 on 2 assists, 1 shots on goal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Tampa Bay Lightning vs Buffalo Sabres game?
The Buffalo Sabres beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4–2 on Apr 06, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Buffalo Sabres 4, Tampa Bay Lightning 2.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Bowen Byram led all skaters at 2.1, on 0G, 2A and 1 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Buffalo Sabres generated 3.49 expected goals and Tampa Bay Lightning generated 2.46, so Buffalo Sabres created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Tampa Bay Lightning put 25 shots on goal and Buffalo Sabres put 29. High-danger chances went 10 to 14.
How did the goaltenders play?
Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 26 of 29 (-0.19 goals saved above expected); Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 23 of 25 (0.26 goals saved above expected).