Tampa Bay Lightning at Buffalo Sabres
NHL game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres on Nov 11, 2026. Final score: Tampa Bay Lightning 8, Buffalo Sabres 3.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Nov 11, 2026 |
| Venue | KeyBank Center |
| Tampa Bay Lightning score | 8 |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 3 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game GAR and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game GAR
Ranked by Game GAR: Goals above replacement in this game. A season of games adds up to season GAR. Skaters only; goalies are listed under Goaltending.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game GAR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | John Carlson | D | 1 | 4 | 1 | 22:43 | 0.16 | +0.98 |
| 2nd | Brandon Hagel | L | 2 | 1 | 5 | 17:10 | 0.73 | +0.73 |
| 3rd | Jake Guentzel | C | 0 | 4 | 1 | 20:27 | 0.21 | +0.69 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Tampa Bay Lightning–Buffalo Sabres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 18:49 | TBL | Scott Sabourin | Conor Geekie, Jake Guentzel | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 1st 19:38 | TBL | John Carlson | Jake Guentzel, Charle-Edouard D'Astous | 4v5 | 2–0 |
| 2nd 04:33 | TBL | Brandon Hagel | Anthony Cirelli, John Carlson | 5v5 | 3–0 |
| 2nd 13:02 | TBL | Yanni Gourde | Jake Guentzel, Sam O'Reilly | 5v5 | 4–0 |
| 2nd 15:54 | BUF | Josh Doan | Ryan McLeod, Josh Norris | 5v4 | 4–1 |
| 2nd 19:32 | BUF | Jason Zucker | Noah Ostlund, Jack Quinn | 5v5 | 4–2 |
| 3rd 00:33 | BUF | Tage Thompson | Peyton Krebs, Mattias Samuelsson | 5v5 | 4–3 |
| 3rd 01:25 | TBL | Nikita Kucherov | Brandon Hagel, John Carlson | 5v5 | 5–3 |
| 3rd 04:11 | TBL | Nikita Kucherov | John Carlson, Anthony Cirelli | 5v5 | 6–3 |
| 3rd 14:13 | TBL | Nikita Kucherov | John Carlson, Jake Guentzel | 4v5 | 7–3 |
| 3rd 15:06 | TBL | Brandon Hagel | Nikita Kucherov, Anthony Cirelli | 5v5 | 8–3 |
Team Comparison
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Buffalo Sabres | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 8 | 3 |
| Shots on goal | 22 | 31 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 3.36 | 3.37 |
| High-danger shots | 14 | 20 |
| Corsi % | 35.8% | 64.2% |
| Power play | 2/4 | 1/3 |
| Faceoff % | 51.5% | 48.5% |
| Hits | 33 | 17 |
| Blocks | 10 | 3 |
| Giveaways | 17 | 13 |
| Takeaways | 1 | 0 |
Tampa Bay Lightning Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game GAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Carlson | D | 1 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 22:43 | 0.16 | +0.98 |
| Brandon Hagel | L | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 17:10 | 0.73 | +0.73 |
| Jake Guentzel | C | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 20:27 | 0.21 | +0.69 |
| Nikita Kucherov | R | 3 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 17:30 | 0.45 | +0.62 |
| Anthony Cirelli | C | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 15:11 | 0.32 | +0.53 |
| Scott Sabourin | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7:18 | 0.42 | +0.29 |
| Charle-Edouard D'Astous | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 20:04 | 0.01 | +0.27 |
| Conor Geekie | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10:05 | 0.31 | +0.25 |
| Yanni Gourde | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 14:56 | 0.30 | +0.15 |
| Victor Hedman | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19:18 | 0.04 | −0.01 |
| Ryan McDonagh | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22:40 | 0.14 | −0.03 |
| Sam O'Reilly | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12:56 | 0.00 | −0.10 |
| Jeffrey Viel | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:31 | 0.00 | −0.11 |
| J.J. Moser | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22:24 | 0.00 | −0.12 |
| Erik Cernak | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:00 | 0.00 | −0.14 |
| Pontus Holmberg | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:42 | 0.06 | −0.17 |
| Zemgus Girgensons | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:01 | 0.02 | −0.19 |
| Ilya Mikheyev | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:16 | 0.19 | −0.21 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game GAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Norris | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15:08 | 0.30 | +0.47 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 20:51 | 0.46 | +0.31 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17:29 | 0.12 | +0.28 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13:22 | 0.03 | +0.21 |
| Josh Doan | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 13:26 | 0.43 | +0.16 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 14:37 | 0.15 | +0.15 |
| Olen Zellweger | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:24 | 0.16 | +0.11 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:59 | 0.10 | +0.10 |
| Zach Metsa | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:07 | 0.04 | +0.08 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 21:13 | 0.07 | +0.07 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 23:12 | 0.15 | +0.07 |
| Sam Carrick | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6:40 | 0.15 | +0.06 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 25:11 | 0.12 | +0.03 |
| Noah Ostlund | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 18:34 | 0.00 | +0.02 |
| Tyson Kozak | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:26 | 0.23 | +0.01 |
| Conor Timmins | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13:01 | 0.05 | −0.03 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 18:23 | 0.45 | −0.05 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 18:49 | 0.35 | −0.06 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision | Game GAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrei Vasilevskiy | Tampa Bay Lightning | 28 | 31 | 90.3% | 0.37 | W | +0.54 |
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | Buffalo Sabres | 9 | 14 | 64.3% | -2.31 | L | −2.20 |
| Colten Ellis | Buffalo Sabres | 5 | 8 | 62.5% | -2.33 | −2.28 |
Analysis
The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Buffalo Sabres 8–3 on Nov 11, 2026, a decisive 5-goal win.
Buffalo Sabres generated 3.37 expected goals to Tampa Bay Lightning's 3.36 — Buffalo Sabres owned the better of the chances but Tampa Bay Lightning took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it; by expected goals it was close to a coin flip.
John Carlson led all skaters with a Game GAR of +0.98 on 1 goal, 4 assists, 1 shots on goal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Tampa Bay Lightning vs Buffalo Sabres game?
The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Buffalo Sabres 8–3 on Nov 11, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Tampa Bay Lightning 8, Buffalo Sabres 3.
Who was the best skater in this game?
By Game GAR, goals above replacement in this game, John Carlson led all skaters at +0.98, on 1 G, 4 A and 1 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Buffalo Sabres generated 3.37 expected goals and Tampa Bay Lightning generated 3.36, so Buffalo Sabres created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Tampa Bay Lightning put 22 shots on goal and Buffalo Sabres put 31. High-danger chances went 14 to 20.