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Sabres vs Panthers Game Overview
BUF vs FLARecords
Head-To-HeadLast 10
Win / Loss
8-2
Over / Under
3-7-0
| Date | Home | Result | ML | O/U | HSOG | ASOG | HPP | APP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 12, '26 | BUF |
4 - 3
|
FLA +100 | o6.0 | 23 | 32 | 0-2 | 1-1 |
| Oct 18, '25 | BUF |
3 - 0
|
BUF +128 | u5.5 | 31 | 32 | 2-4 | 0-7 |
| Apr 12, '25 | FLA |
3 - 2 (SO)
|
FLA -147 | u5.5 | 34 | 28 | 0-3 | 2-3 |
| Mar 08, '25 | FLA |
4 - 0
|
FLA -255 | u6.0 | 36 | 21 | 0-1 | 0-2 |
| Oct 28, '24 | BUF |
5 - 2
|
FLA -148 | o6.0 | 28 | 31 | 1-3 | 2-4 |
| Oct 12, '24 | BUF |
5 - 2
|
BUF -102 | o6.0 | 27 | 25 | 0-3 | 1-2 |
| Apr 13, '24 | FLA |
3 - 2 (OT)
|
FLA -218 | u5.5 | 42 | 29 | 0-3 | 1-2 |
| Feb 27, '24 | FLA |
3 - 2
|
FLA -224 | u6.0 | 37 | 30 | 2-5 | 1-4 |
| Feb 15, '24 | BUF |
4 - 0
|
FLA -162 | u6.5 | 45 | 30 | 0-2 | 1-3 |
| Apr 04, '23 | FLA |
2 - 1
|
FLA -187 | u7.0 | 36 | 40 | 1-4 | 1-5 |
BUF vs FLA Preview
Last Meeting ( Jan 12, 2026 ) Florida 4, Buffalo 3
The Buffalo Sabres, who are in the midst of a 14-year-playoff drought that is the longest in NHL history, are actually in prime postseason position.
With 28 games left in the regular season, the Sabres' start the week as one of the Eastern Conference's two wild-card teams.
Buffalo has 67 points, and that's six ahead of the top teams currently out of playoff position - Columbus and Washington. The Sabres are eight points ahead of the two-time reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, who will host Buffalo on Monday night in Sunrise.
So, how have the Sabres improved?
For starters, they are 24-2-0 when leading after two periods. Goalie Alex Lyon is a big part of that as he leads the Sabres in wins (13-7-3), save%age (.913), goals-against average (2.64) and shutouts (two).
Of his 23 starts, 17 have been quality starts and only three have been judged as bad starts, as per Hockey Reference.
Lyon, a 33-year-old Minnesota native and former Yale standout, played for the Panthers in 2022-2023.
Prior to losing 4-2 to Montreal on Saturday, Lyon had won a franchise-record 10 straight starts, including two in overtime and one in a shootout. He allowed two goals or less seven times in that streak.
"I'm happy for the team," Lyon said of his accomplishments. "My goal is to help win games and fight for that ultimate goal."
Head Coach Lindy Ruff, Buffalo's all-time wins leader, is in the last year of his contract. Besides Lyon, he is riding standouts such as Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch at forward and defensemen Rasmus Dahlin and Mattias Samuelsson.
Thompson leads Buffalo in goals (28) and points (56), and his slap shot has been clocked as the fastest in the NHL. Tuch, a top two-way forward, is second in goals (22) and points (47). Dahlin, a three-time All-Star at age 25, is tops in assists (33), and Samuelsson is No. 1 in plus/minus (plus-28).
Thompson, who scored 44 goals last season, will surely be at the top of the scouting report for the Panthers, who have lost three straight games -- their worst skid since late November/early December.
On Saturday, the Panthers lost 2-1 to the visiting Winnipeg Jets. Florida led 1-0 before allowing a pair of third-period goals.
"We just have to keep the faith," Panthers coach Paul Maurice said after Florida's third straight one-goal loss. "Keep your belief and keep your fight -- even when it's going against you."
Injuries have been a big part of Florida's story. The Panthers started the season without their top two offensive stars -- Alexander Barkov (still out due to a knee injury) and Matthew Tkachuk, who didn't make his debut until Jan. 19.
in Saturday's loss, the Panthers were also without Brad Marchand, who is second on the team in goals (25) and points (50). He has a lower-body injury.
In addition, Anton Lundell has missed two straight games due to an upper-body injury. He is fifth on the team in goals (15) and points (36).
On defense, the Panthers are without Seth Jones and Dmitry Kulikov, both with upper-body injuries. Jones leads Panthers defensemen with 24 points.
In goal, 37-year old Sergei Bobrovsky leads Florida in wins (20-16-1). He has an .875 save percentage and a 3.05 GAA that is higher than his mark last season (2.44) and his career average (2.60).
Backup Daniil Tarasov is 8-7-2 with a .904 save percentage and a 2.67 GAA.
The teams have split two previous games this season, each winning on home ice.
--Field Level Media
BUF vs FLAInjury report
Buffalo's Injuries
| Player | POS | Status | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C. Ellis | G | Day To Day - Undisclosed( Mar 14, '26) | Mar 14, '26 | |
| Ellis did not play on Saturday's (Mar. 14) game versus the Maple Leafs. | ||||
| T. Pearson | LW | Day To Day - Lower-Body( Mar 14, '26) | Mar 14, '26 | |
| Pearson did not play on Saturday's (Mar. 14) clash versus the Maple Leafs. | ||||
| M. Samuelsson | D | Day To Day - Undisclosed( Mar 14, '26) | Mar 14, '26 | |
| Samuelsson did not play on Saturday's (Mar. 14) game versus the Maple Leafs. | ||||
| T. Kozak | C | Day To Day - Undisclosed( Mar 14, '26) | Mar 14, '26 | |
| Kozak did not play on Saturday's (Mar. 14) game against the Maple Leafs. | ||||
| J. Kulich | C | Out For Season - Ear( Mar 05, '26) | Mar 05, '26 | |
| The Sabres said that Kulich is expected to miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season. | ||||
| J. Greenway | LW | Out - Abdomen( Feb 24, '26) | Feb 24, '26 | |
| The Buffalo Sabres placed F Jordan Greenway on injured reserve on Wednesday (Feb. 25). | ||||
| C. Timmins | D | Out - Leg( Feb 17, '26) | Feb 17, '26 | |
| The Buffalo Sabres said on Wednesday (Feb. 18) that Timmins is now skating but not in day-to-day status. | ||||
| J. Danforth | RW | Out - Lower Body( Jan 25, '26) | Jan 25, '26 | |
| The Buffalo Sabres said on Monday (Jan. 26) that Danforth is trending toward a post-Olympic return to action, per Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. | ||||
Florida's Injuries
| Player | POS | Status | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S. Bennett | C | Day To Day - Undisclosed( Mar 15, '26) | Mar 15, '26 | |
| Bennett did not play in Sunday's (Mar. 15) game against the Kraken. | ||||
| S. Jones | D | Day To Day - Upper Body( Mar 15, '26) | Mar 15, '26 | |
| Jones did not play in Sunday's (Mar. 15) game against the Kraken. | ||||
| S. Reinhart | C | Out - Undisclosed( Mar 13, '26) | Mar 13, '26 | |
| The Panthers said on Saturday (Mar. 14) that Reinhart will not travel with the team for their upcoming four-game road trip, per George Richards of Florida Hockey Now. | ||||
| U. Balinskis | D | Out - Undisclosed( Mar 13, '26) | Mar 13, '26 | |
| The Panthers said on Saturday (Mar. 14) that Balinskis might return to the lineup during Florida's upcoming four-game road trip, per George Richards of Florida Hockey Now. | ||||
| A. Barkov | C | Out - Knee( Mar 09, '26) | Mar 09, '26 | |
| The Florida Panthers said on Tuesday (Mar. 10) that Barkov took a practice in a non-contact sweater, per George Richards of Florida Hockey Now. | ||||
| B. Marchand | LW | Out - Lower Body( Mar 08, '26) | Mar 08, '26 | |
| The Panthers said on Monday (Mar. 9) that Marchand is expected to be out for weeks due to a lingering injury, as per George Richards of NHL.com. | ||||
| C. Schwindt | C | Out - Lower Body( Feb 28, '26) | Feb 28, '26 | |
| The Florida Panthers placed F Cole Schwindt on injured reserve on Sunday (Mar. 1). | ||||
| J. Gadjovich | LW | Out - Upper Body( Jan 04, '26) | Jan 04, '26 | |
| The Panthers said on Monday (Jan. 5) that Gadjovich is not expected to return until after the Olympic break, per Jameson Olive of the team's official site. | ||||
GoaltendersLast 5
W/L
4-1-0-0
GAA
1.67
Save %
.884
| Date | Score | W/L | GA | SA | SV% | SO | ML | O/U | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A.Lyon | Jan 31, 2026 | BUF 2 - MON 4 | L | 3 | 30 | .900 | - | L -130 | u6.5 |
| A.Lyon | Jan 29, 2026 | BUF 4 - LA 1 | W | 1 | 38 | .974 | - | W -125 | u5.5 |
| U.Luukkonen | Jan 27, 2026 | TOR 4 - BUF 7 | - | 2 | 5 | .600 | - | W -102 | o6.5 |
| C.Ellis | Jan 27, 2026 | TOR 4 - BUF 7 | W | 2 | 18 | .889 | - | W -102 | o6.5 |
| A.Lyon | Jan 24, 2026 | NYI 0 - BUF 5 | W | 0 | 26 | 1.00 | - | W -114 | u6.5 |
| U.Luukkonen | Jan 22, 2026 | MON 2 - BUF 4 | W | 2 | 34 | .941 | - | W +104 | u6.5 |
W/L
3-3-0-0
GAA
2.83
Save %
.883
| Date | Score | W/L | GA | SA | SV% | SO | ML | O/U | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S.Bobrovsky | Jan 31, 2026 | FLA 1 - WIN 2 | L | 2 | 21 | .905 | - | L -154 | u6.0 |
| D.Tarasov | Jan 29, 2026 | STL 5 - FLA 4 | L | 5 | 31 | .839 | - | L -152 | o5.5 |
| S.Bobrovsky | Jan 27, 2026 | FLA 3 - UTAH 4 | L | 3 | 19 | .842 | - | L -154 | o6.0 |
| V.Vanecek | Jan 27, 2026 | FLA 3 - UTAH 4 | W | 3 | 30 | .900 | - | L -154 | o6.0 |
| D.Tarasov | Jan 25, 2026 | CHI 1 - FLA 5 | W | 1 | 22 | .955 | - | W -137 | o5.5 |
| S.Bobrovsky | Jan 24, 2026 | MIN 3 - FLA 4 (OT) | W | 3 | 21 | .857 | - | W +104 | o6.0 |
BUF vs FLAStats
Offense vs Defense
Goals
| OFFENSE |
Stat | DEFENSE |
|---|---|---|
| 3.43 | Total | 3.26 |
| 1.00 | 1st Period | 0.91 |
| 1.26 | 2nd Period | 1.00 |
| 1.06 | 3rd Period | 1.30 |
| 0.06 | OT | 0.04 |
Shots
| OFFENSE |
Stat | DEFENSE |
|---|---|---|
| 27.80 | Total | 25.81 |
| 8.20 | 1st Period | 8.24 |
| 9.94 | 2nd Period | 8.04 |
| 7.93 | 3rd Period | 6.98 |
| 0.22 | OT | 0.35 |
Shot Pct vs. Save Pct
| SHOOTING |
Stat | SAVE PCT. |
|---|---|---|
| 0.12 | Total | 0.87 |
| 0.12 | 1st Period | 0.89 |
| 0.13 | 2nd Period | 0.88 |
| 0.13 | 3rd Period | 0.81 |
| 0.25 | OT | 0.89 |
Power Play vs Penalty Kill
| POWERPLAY |
Stat | PENALTY KILL |
|---|---|---|
| 31 - 158 | G/Att vs. GA/Att | 32 - 187 |
| 19.62 | PP % vs. PK % | 82.89 |
Goaltenders
| Buffalo Goaltenders |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | S | SV | SV% | WL | ||
| Colten Ellis | 332 | 298 | 0.898 | 7-4-0 | ||
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 553 | 499 | 0.902 | 11-7-2 | ||
| Alex Lyon | 705 | 644 | 0.913 | 13-7-3 | ||