Buffalo Sabres aim to break a 3-game road skid vs. Tampa Bay Lightning. With Brayden Point (45 goals) and Alex Tuch (22 goals, 37 assists) as top scorers.
Dylan Cozens netted 2 as Sabres close their season with a 4-2 victory against playoff-bound Lightning. Stamkos hits 40 goals again but can't outscore Buffalo.
Lindy Ruff is back as Buffalo Sabres' head coach, eager to end their 13-year playoff dry spell. With his history of 8 playoffs & a 1999 Final, he's set to revive the team.
Goals by period
Goals by period, Buffalo Sabres at Tampa Bay Lightning
Team
1st1st period
2nd2nd period
3rd3rd period
Total
Buffalo Sabres
1
2
1
4
Tampa Bay Lightning
0
1
1
2
Shots on goal by period
Shots on goal by period, Buffalo Sabres at Tampa Bay Lightning
Team
1st1st period
2nd2nd period
3rd3rd period
Total
Buffalo Sabres
9
16
9
34
Tampa Bay Lightning
16
7
10
33
Three stars
D. Cozens, Buffalo Sabres (2 goals, 1 assist)
E. Comrie, Buffalo Sabres (goaltender)
S. Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning (1 goal)
Scoring summary
Every goal, Buffalo Sabres at Tampa Bay Lightning. Numbers in brackets are season totals.
Period
Time
Team
Goal
Assists
Type
Score
1st
01:26
Buffalo Sabres
Dylan Cozens (17)
Jack Quinn (9), Bowen Byram (18)
Even strength
BUF 1, TBL 0
2nd
02:27
Tampa Bay Lightning
Steven Stamkos (40)
Nikita Kucherov (99)
Even strength
BUF 1, TBL 1
2nd
05:08
Buffalo Sabres
Dylan Cozens (18)
Jordan Greenway (18)
Shorthanded
BUF 2, TBL 1
2nd
16:13
Buffalo Sabres
Jordan Greenway (10)
Zemgus Girgensons (6), Tyson Jost (3)
Even strength
BUF 3, TBL 1
3rd
09:39
Tampa Bay Lightning
Erik Cernak (2)
Nick Paul (21)
Even strength
BUF 3, TBL 2
3rd
09:54
Buffalo Sabres
Zach Benson (11)
Jack Quinn (10), Dylan Cozens (29)
Even strength
BUF 4, TBL 2
Numbers in brackets are the player's season totals after the goal.
Team stats
Team stats, Buffalo Sabres at Tampa Bay Lightning
Stat
Buffalo Sabres
Tampa Bay Lightning
Shots on goal
34
33
Power play
0 of 2
0 of 2
Penalty minutes
4
4
Hits
13
18
Blocked shots
12
11
Giveaways
1
9
Takeaways
7
13
Faceoffs won
28/61 (45.9%)
33/61 (54.1%)
Box score
Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres skaters
Player
PosPosition
GGoals
AAssists
PPoints
+/-Plus/minus
PIMPenalty minutes
SOGShots on goal
HITHits
BLKBlocked shots
FO%Faceoff percentage
TOITime on ice
Number 9 Z. Benson
L
1
0
1
+2
0
4
0
2
16:36
Number 12 J. Greenway
L
1
1
2
+1
2
2
1
0
18:19
Number 17 T. Jost
C
0
1
1
0
0
1
1
0
80%
08:45
Number 19 P. Krebs
C
0
0
0
-1
0
1
1
0
50%
12:04
Number 22 J. Quinn
R
0
2
2
+2
0
3
1
0
16:57
Number 24 D. Cozens
C
2
1
3
+3
0
8
0
0
42.9%
20:15
Number 28 Z. Girgensons
C
0
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
40%
12:34
Number 53 J. Skinner
L
0
0
0
-1
0
3
0
1
13:38
Number 71 V. Olofsson
L
0
0
0
-1
0
0
0
0
08:01
Number 72 T. Thompson
C
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
20%
03:11
Number 77 J. Peterka
R
0
0
0
0
0
5
0
0
23:11
Number 89 A. Tuch
R
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
2
53.8%
24:13
Number 4 B. Byram
D
0
1
1
+1
0
0
3
1
21:02
Number 10 H. Jokiharju
D
0
0
0
+1
0
0
0
1
17:32
Number 25 O. Power
D
0
0
0
+1
0
2
0
0
20:17
Number 26 R. Dahlin
D
0
0
0
0
2
1
1
0
22:23
Number 75 C. Clifton
D
0
0
0
+1
0
1
2
3
20:54
Number 78 J. Bryson
D
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
1
16:08
Buffalo Sabres goalies
Goalie
SAShots against
SVSaves
GAGoals against
SV%Save percentage
TOITime on ice
DECDecision
Number 31 E. Comrie
33
31
2
.939
60:00
Win
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning skaters
Player
PosPosition
GGoals
AAssists
PPoints
+/-Plus/minus
PIMPenalty minutes
SOGShots on goal
HITHits
BLKBlocked shots
FO%Faceoff percentage
TOITime on ice
Number 10 A. Duclair
L
0
0
0
-1
0
1
1
0
17:09
Number 11 L. Glendening
C
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
75%
03:47
Number 20 N. Paul
L
0
1
1
0
0
1
0
0
52.4%
19:55
Number 21 B. Point
C
0
0
0
-1
0
5
0
0
57.1%
23:11
Number 23 M. Eyssimont
C
0
0
0
-1
0
1
1
0
09:29
Number 38 B. Hagel
L
0
0
0
-2
0
2
0
0
18:28
Number 41 M. Chaffee
R
0
0
0
-1
0
1
2
1
10:02
Number 71 A. Cirelli
C
0
0
0
-2
0
4
0
1
47.1%
18:54
Number 73 C. Sheary
L
0
0
0
+1
0
1
0
0
10:52
Number 84 T. Jeannot
L
0
0
0
+1
2
0
2
0
09:47
Number 86 N. Kucherov
R
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
24:00
Number 91 S. Stamkos
C
1
0
1
-1
0
7
1
0
63.6%
18:58
Number 24 M. Dumba
D
0
0
0
-1
0
2
4
1
15:46
Number 43 D. Raddysh
D
0
0
0
0
0
2
1
3
21:16
Number 48 N. Perbix
D
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
16:28
Number 77 V. Hedman
D
0
0
0
-1
0
3
1
2
26:15
Number 78 E. Lilleberg
D
0
0
0
-1
2
1
1
0
15:03
Number 81 E. Cernak
D
1
0
1
0
0
2
3
1
19:04
Tampa Bay Lightning goalies
Goalie
SAShots against
SVSaves
GAGoals against
SV%Save percentage
TOITime on ice
DECDecision
Number 88 A. Vasilevskiy
34
30
4
.882
57:36
Loss
Penalties
Penalties, Buffalo Sabres at Tampa Bay Lightning
Period
Time
Team
Player
Infraction
Minutes
1st
18:34
Buffalo Sabres
Jordan Greenway
Tripping
2
2nd
04:45
Buffalo Sabres
Rasmus Dahlin
Slashing
2
2nd
10:24
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tanner Jeannot
Slashing
2
3rd
01:00
Tampa Bay Lightning
Emil Lilleberg
Boarding
2
Game information
Buffalo Sabres head coach
Don Granato
Tampa Bay Lightning head coach
Jon Cooper
Referees
Jake Brenk, Morgan MacPhee
Linesmen
Shandor Alphonso, Libor Suchanek
Buffalo Sabres scratches
Kale Clague, Eric Robinson, Lukas Rousek
Tampa Bay Lightning scratches
Calvin de Haan, Austin Watson, Tyler Motte, Haydn Fleury, Jonas Johansson
2023-2024 season series
Every Buffalo Sabres and Tampa Bay Lightning game in the 2023-2024 season
Buffalo Sabres 
at Tampa Bay Lightning 
Montreal Canadiens
4
at Detroit Red Wings
5
New York Islanders
4
at New Jersey Devils
1
Nashville Predators
2
at Pittsburgh Penguins
4
Boston Bruins
0
at Washington Capitals
2
Ottawa Senators
0
at New York Rangers
4
San Jose Sharks
2
at Edmonton Oilers
9
Minnesota Wild
3
at Los Angeles Kings
1