Josh Doan, Sabres and Lightning
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Doan scores 2nd goal with 4:17 left in 3rd, Thompson has 4 assists for Buffalo, which takes over Atlantic lead
The Lightning have yielded the first goal in six straight and fell behind by at least three goals at some point in each of five post-Olympic break losses.
The Sabres broke a 1-1 tie in the second period and scored four unanswered goals to win their fifth straight coming out of the Olympic break and that coupled with the Lightning continuing to struggle with injuries have allowed Buffalo to pull even with the Lightning at 80 points,
The Sabres and Lightning play for 1st place at KeyBank Center. Lindy Ruff said it best during his postgame press conference on Saturday: These are the games you hope to be playing this time of year.
The Tampa Bay Lightning will be without center Dominic James after he underwent surgery on Tuesday for a lower-body injury. James is expected to miss 8–10 weeks, which will sideline him for the remainder of the regular season.
Expert recap and game analysis of the Buffalo Sabres vs. Nashville Predators NHL game from March 7, 2026 on ESPN.