Kings Lose to Surging Sabres, Hurt Playoff Hopes

Buffalo continues impressive run, handing Los Angeles a key defeat in Western Conference wild-card race.

Mar. 21, 2026 at 11:06pm

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The Los Angeles Kings fell out of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference after a 4-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday. Tage Thompson, Sam Carrick, Rasmus Dahlin, and Zach Benson scored for the Sabres, who have won 12 of their last 13 games. Artemi Panarin scored the lone goal for the Kings, who are now behind the Nashville Predators in the playoff race.

Why it matters

The Kings' loss to the surging Sabres was a missed opportunity to strengthen their playoff position in the tight Western Conference wild-card race. Buffalo has been one of the NHL's hottest teams, making the Kings' defeat all the more disappointing as they try to end their long postseason drought.

The details

The Kings jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on Artemi Panarin's power-play goal, but the Sabres took control in the final two periods. Sam Carrick and Rasmus Dahlin scored 59 seconds apart in the third period to give Buffalo a 3-1 lead, and Zach Benson added an empty-net goal to seal the win. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 26 saves for the Sabres, while Anton Forsberg stopped 28 shots for the Kings.

  • The Kings came into the day as the second wild card in the Western Conference.
  • The Kings' loss dropped them behind the Nashville Predators in the playoff race.

The players

Zach Benson

A forward for the Buffalo Sabres who had a goal and an assist in the game.

Tage Thompson

A forward for the Buffalo Sabres who scored a goal in the game.

Sam Carrick

A forward for the Buffalo Sabres who scored a goal in the game.

Rasmus Dahlin

A defenseman for the Buffalo Sabres who scored a goal in the game.

Artemi Panarin

A forward for the Los Angeles Kings who scored the team's lone goal in the game.

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What’s next

The Kings will look to bounce back on Sunday when they travel to face the Utah team.

The takeaway

The Kings' loss to the surging Sabres was a missed opportunity to strengthen their playoff position in the tight Western Conference wild-card race, as they now find themselves behind the Nashville Predators in the standings. Buffalo's impressive run has them on the verge of ending their long postseason drought, making the Kings' defeat all the more disappointing.