The Buffalo Sabres secured a 6-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday at Benchmark International Arena. With this win, Buffalo now has 76 points and trails the division-leading Lightning by four points.
The Sabres’ offense was led by Rasmus Dahlin, Josh Norris—who scored twice—Tage Thompson, Zach Metsa, and Alex Tuch. Dahlin finished with one goal and two assists, while Metsa contributed a goal and an assist. Norris also had a multi-point game.
Goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 36 saves on 38 shots for Buffalo. He has now won 10 of his last 13 starts, equaling the best stretch of his career over that span.
Tampa Bay’s goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy entered the game with a strong record of 17-0-1 in his previous 18 games, boasting a .925 save percentage and a goals-against average of 1.90. However, he allowed five goals on just 14 shots from the Sabres—all at even strength—and was replaced early in the second period.
Zach Benson returned to play for Buffalo after missing four games due to injury. He played primarily on the fourth line alongside Tyson Kozak and Beck Malenstyn, logging nearly fourteen minutes of ice time with two hits and an assist.
Buffalo completed its road trip with three consecutive wins after the break. Since December 9, they have been one of the league’s top teams on the road with a record of 16-2-1. The team will play thirteen of its remaining twenty-two games at home this season, where their current record is 17-8-3.
The scoring summary included first-period goals from Dahlin, Norris (twice), and Thompson; Metsa added another early in the second period. Alex Tuch scored on the power play in the third period before Victor Hedman added Tampa Bay’s final goal.
The Sabres will return home to face the Vegas Golden Knights at KeyBank Center on Tuesday at 7 p.m., with pregame coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. All fans attending will receive a Tage Thompson and Team USA-themed rally towel as part of Tuesday’s Gold Medal homecoming event.
