Sabres Outlast Lightning in Wild 8-7 Victory

Josh Doan scores opening and closing goals in feisty Atlantic Division showdown

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 8-7 in a wild and feisty game that saw the teams combine for 100 penalty minutes, including five fights and a postgame scrum. Josh Doan scored the opening and closing goals for the Sabres, who rallied from a three-goal deficit to move two points ahead of the Lightning in the Atlantic Division standings.

Why it matters

This high-scoring, physical matchup between division rivals highlights the intensity of the race for the Atlantic Division lead, with the Sabres and Lightning battling for positioning heading into the final stretch of the regular season.

The details

The Sabres overcame a three-goal deficit, with Josh Doan, Alex Tuch, and Jason Zucker each scoring twice. Tage Thompson recorded four assists, and Bo Byram had three. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 21 saves for the Sabres. Nikita Kucherov scored two goals and had an assist for the Lightning, who have lost five of their last six games. Jonas Johansson made 34 saves for Tampa Bay.

  • The game was played on Sunday, March 8, 2026.
  • The teams will meet one more time in the regular season on April 6, 2026, in Buffalo.

The players

Josh Doan

A left wing for the Buffalo Sabres who scored the opening and closing goals in the game.

Nikita Kucherov

A forward for the Tampa Bay Lightning who scored two goals and had an assist in the game.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

The goaltender for the Buffalo Sabres who made 21 saves in the game.

Jonas Johansson

The goaltender for the Tampa Bay Lightning who made 34 saves in the game.

Tage Thompson

A forward for the Buffalo Sabres who recorded four assists in the game.

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The takeaway

This high-scoring, physical matchup between division rivals highlights the intensity of the race for the Atlantic Division lead, with the Sabres and Lightning battling for positioning heading into the final stretch of the regular season.