Sabres Cruise Past Lightning With Early Goal Barrage

Buffalo scores four times in the first period to defeat Tampa Bay 6-2

Mar. 3, 2026 at 1:47am

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The Buffalo Sabres scored four goals in the first period and cruised to a 6-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night. Josh Norris scored twice in the opening frame, while Rasmus Dahlin, Tage Thompson, Zach Metsa, and Alex Tuch also found the back of the net for the Sabres. Goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 36 saves for Buffalo, which extended its road point streak to nine games.

Why it matters

The win pushes the Sabres further up the standings in the competitive Atlantic Division, while snapping the Lightning's 10-game home winning streak. Buffalo has now won three straight games since the Winter Olympics break, showing they can compete with the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

The details

The Sabres jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first period, with Norris scoring twice and Dahlin and Thompson also finding the net. Metsa and Tuch added goals in the second and third periods, respectively, to seal the victory. Tampa Bay's Victor Hedman and Dominic James scored the Lightning's two goals, but it wasn't enough to overcome the early deficit.

  • The Sabres scored four goals in the first period.
  • Norris scored his two goals in the first 8:16 of the game.
  • Metsa scored early in the second period to chase Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy from the game.
  • Tuch scored in the third period shortly after Jake Guentzel was ejected from the game.

The players

Josh Norris

A forward for the Buffalo Sabres who scored two goals in the first period to help lead his team to victory.

Rasmus Dahlin

A defenseman for the Buffalo Sabres who scored a goal and had two assists in the game.

Andrei Vasilevskiy

The starting goaltender for the Tampa Bay Lightning who was pulled from the game after surrendering five goals on 14 shots in the first two periods.

Victor Hedman

A defenseman for the Tampa Bay Lightning who scored one of the team's two goals in the loss.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

The goaltender for the Buffalo Sabres who made 36 saves to earn the victory.

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What they’re saying

“We came out flying and took it to them early. That set the tone for the rest of the game.”

— Josh Norris, Sabres Forward

“We just didn't have it tonight. Buffalo came out with a lot of energy and we couldn't match it. We'll need to regroup and be better next time.”

— Victor Hedman, Lightning Defenseman

What’s next

The Sabres will play six of their next seven games at home, looking to continue their strong play and climb up the standings in the Atlantic Division. The Lightning will try to bounce back from this loss and regain their dominant form at home.

The takeaway

Buffalo's early offensive onslaught proved too much for Tampa Bay to overcome, as the Sabres showed they can compete with the top teams in the Eastern Conference. This win extends Buffalo's road point streak and demonstrates the team's ability to win against elite opponents like the Lightning.