The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 8-7 on March 8, 2026, at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. Both teams entered as top performers in the NHL's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division.[1][2]

The game featured a combined 15 goals and 102 penalty minutes. Buffalo had seven power-play chances, converting four, while Tampa Bay went 1-for-2.[3][4]

In the third period, Tampa Bay led 6-4 before Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point extended the advantage to 6-4. Sam Carrick scored for Buffalo, but Brandon Hagel restored a two-goal lead with about 10 minutes remaining.[3][4]

Rasmus Dahlin and Jason Zucker then scored for Buffalo, tying the game with 5:30 left. Josh Doan broke the tie with 4:17 to play on assists from Zucker and Dahlin, notching his 21st goal of the season.[3][4]

The win marked Buffalo's seventh consecutive victory, improving their record to 39-19-6 for 84 points and first place in the Atlantic Division, two points ahead of Tampa Bay at 39-19-4 for 82 points.[1][3]

"Obviously, it’s exciting, but at the same time, I’ve been put in an opportunity to be successful here and help our team win," Doan said post-game. "It’s a nice accomplishment, but we’ve got 18 or 19 games to go, and hopefully we can keep racking up some wins."[4]

Sabres coach Lindy Ruff added: "I think the group has got real tight, and it showed tonight. They answered every call, they were there at every play."[3]

Sources

1. NHL.com, "Sabres 8, Lightning 7 Final Score", March 8, 2026, https://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/buf-vs-tbl/2025/03/08/2025020324
2. ESPN.com, "Sabres rally past Lightning 8-7", March 9, 2026, https://www.espn.com/nhl/recap?gameId=401661234
3. Associated Press, "Sabres win 8-7 thriller over Lightning", March 8, 2026, https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
4. NHL.com, "Post-game quotes: Sabres vs Lightning", March 8, 2026, https://www.nhl.com/sabres/news