Sabres Win Wild 8–7 Thriller Over Lightning, Extend Winning Streak to Seven

In a game that had everything — fights, momentum swings, and a dramatic late comeback — the Buffalo Sabres defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 8–7 Sunday night at KeyBank Center, extending their winning streak to seven games and strengthening their hold near the top of the Atlantic Division.

The deciding moment came late in the third period when Josh Doan fired home a power-play goal with 4:17 remaining, capping a wild back-and-forth battle between the division rivals.

Buffalo appeared to be in firm control midway through the game. After Doan opened the scoring on a first-period power play, the Sabres built a 3–0 lead in the second period behind power-play goals from Jason Zucker and Alex Tuch.

But Tampa Bay quickly flipped the momentum.

The Lightning rattled off three unanswered goals late in the second period — including tallies from Corey Perry, Zemgus Girgensons, and J.J. Moser — to tie the game at 4–4 heading into the third.

Tampa Bay then seized the lead early in the final period. Goals from Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point pushed the Lightning ahead 6–4 before the Sabres began another surge.

Sam Carrick sparked the comeback with a goal midway through the period, and Rasmus Dahlin brought Buffalo within one moments later. After Tampa’s Brandon Hagel briefly restored a two-goal cushion, the Sabres responded again — first with Zucker’s game-tying goal, then with Doan’s late winner on the power play.

Josh Doan led Buffalo’s offensive surge with two goals, including the game-winning power-play tally late in the third period. The goal capped a strong night for the Sabres forward, who now has points in three straight games and reached the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career. Jason Zucker also delivered a big performance with two goals and an assist, tying the game in the third period before assisting on Doan’s winner.

Buffalo’s offense was powered by several standout performances throughout the lineup. Tage Thompson recorded a career-high four assists while extending his point streak to 11 games, the longest by a Sabres player since 2019. Rasmus Dahlin added three points with a goal and two assists and continued his strong play against Tampa Bay, while Alex Tuch scored twice — including a shorthanded breakaway goal — and extended his own point streak to six games. As a team, the Sabres generated 42 shots on goal and capitalized on special teams, finishing 4-for-7 on the power play in the high-scoring victory.

The victory marked another milestone for Buffalo during its strong season. It was the first time since February 2025 that the Sabres have won in regulation after trailing by two or more goals in the third period.

Buffalo will look to keep its momentum rolling Tuesday night when the Sabres return to KeyBank Center to face the San Jose Sharks.