March 8, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) holds the puck as Buffalo Sabers defenseman Mathias Samuelsson (23) defends during the first period at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Image Josh Doan’s second power-play goal capped a frenzied third period as the Buffalo Sabers recovered from a two-goal deficit and clinched first place in the Atlantic Division with a resounding 8-7 win over the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday.
The Sabers, on an NHL-high seven-game winning streak, allowed five unanswered goals to turn a 4-1 lead into a 6-4 deficit six minutes into the final period. After the two teams traded goals, Buffalo scored three goals in a span of 4 minutes and 40 seconds to improve to 2-0-1 over the Lightning and lead the visitors by a division standings score of 84-82.
Alex Tuch and Jason Zucker also scored twice, while Sam Carrick and Rasmus Dahlin found the net. Bowen Byram had three assists.
Tage Thompson had four assists, extending his point streak to 11 games (six goals, nine assists). Goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 21 of 28 shots on goal.
Buffalo went 4-for-7 on the power play and was shorthanded.
Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov had two goals and one assist, and JJ Moser had one goal and two assists. Backup netminder Jonas Johansson made 34 saves.
Corey Perry, Zemgus Girgensons, Brayden Point and Brandon Hagel scored goals. Darren Raddysh posted three helpers.
The two clubs, who have a combined 100 penalty minutes, began to fall apart after Tampa Bay’s Hagel and Anthony Cirelli put Thompson on the boards 4:36 into the game.
Doan scored his 20th goal at 8:26 to put Buffalo on the lead.
To add to the madness in the second period, two fights broke out at center ice before the puck had barely even dropped.
Buffalo scored twice more with the man advantage on tallies by Zucker and Tuch to take a 3-0 lead 5:10 into the middle frame.
Perry got Tampa Bay on the board at 7:55 with his second goal in as many games with his new club.
But Tuch got Buffalo’s 10th shorthanded goal with a shot between Johansson’s pads at 11:07, but Kucherov scored 1:19 later to cut it to 4-2.
Girgensons and Moser potted their markers to close the period, keeping the score tied at 4-all.
Kucherov’s second goal 59 seconds into the third gave the Lightning a 5-4 lead, and Point went up by two after Owen Power scored on a goal of his own.
Former New York Ranger Carrick hit his first Buffalo marker 26 seconds later to cut it to 6-5. But Hagel got a rebound at 9:48 and Dahlin made it 7-6 at 11:03.
Zucker scored his second goal at 14:29 to make it 7-all and Doan’s second goal at 15:43 was the club’s fourth goal on the power play for the win.
15 goals is the most scored in one game by both teams this season.
–Field level media
