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Buffalo Sabres vs Tampa Bay Lightning

Regular season · Saturday, January 2, 2027 · Benchmark International Arena

Buffalo SabresBuffaloSabresAway

vs

Tampa Bay LightningTampa BayLightningHome

The Spot · MSG-B

Game preview

The Buffalo Sabres visit the Tampa Bay Lightning at Benchmark International Arena on Saturday, January 2, 2027, with puck drop at 7:00 PM ET. The game is on The Spot and MSG-B.

This is the third of 4 meetings between the teams this season.

Rest and travel

Sabres

Game 2 of a road trip: Florida, now Tampa Bay.

  1. 232026-12-23: no game
  2. 242026-12-24: no game
  3. 252026-12-25: no game
  4. 262026-12-26: vs NJD
  5. 272026-12-27: no game
  6. 282026-12-28: vs DET
  7. 292026-12-29: no game
  8. 302026-12-30: at FLA
  9. 312026-12-31: no game
  10. 12027-01-01: no game
  11. 22027-01-02: at TBL
rest since last game
2 days
rest since last game
traveled since last game
~179 mi
traveled since last game
on this road trip
~1,337 mi
on this road trip
local time vs home
Same time zone
local time vs home

Lightning

Another game at home.

  1. 232026-12-23: no game
  2. 242026-12-24: no game
  3. 252026-12-25: no game
  4. 262026-12-26: at FLA
  5. 272026-12-27: no game
  6. 282026-12-28: at CAR
  7. 292026-12-29: vs NSH, second of a back-to-backB2B
  8. 302026-12-30: no game
  9. 312026-12-31: vs MTL
  10. 12027-01-01: no game
  11. 22027-01-02: vs BUF
rest since last game
1 day
rest since last game
traveled since last game
~0 mi
traveled since last game
not on a road trip
–
not on a road trip
local time vs home
Same time zone
local time vs home
Home game Road game This gameB2B = back-to-back, the second of two games on consecutive days. Distances are approximate.

Lines from last game

Buffalo SabresSabresTue, Oct 13 at MTL
  1. Benson#6Ostlund#86Quinn#22
    10:23 together at 5-on-5
  2. McLeod#71Kulich#20Helenius#94
    7:12 together at 5-on-5
  3. Thompson#72Krebs#19Doan#91
    6:57 together at 5-on-5
  4. NewMalenstyn#29Norris#9Danforth#15
    6:26 together at 5-on-5
  1. NewSamuelsson#23Zellweger#8
    14:05 together at 5-on-5
  2. Power#25Metsa#73
    11:55 together at 5-on-5
  3. NewGilbert#44Crevier#46
    6:02 together at 5-on-5

Power play

  1. PP1Benson LThompson COstlund CQuinn RPower D3:35 together on the power play

Penalty kill

  1. PK1Malenstyn LDanforth RSamuelsson DCrevier D0:55 together killing penalties
  2. PK2Malenstyn LSamuelsson DPower D0:49 together killing penalties
Tampa Bay LightningLightningTue, Oct 13 at NYR
  1. Girgensons#28Holmberg#29Mikheyev#95
    10:27 together at 5-on-5
  2. Point#21Goncalves#93Kucherov#86
    5:49 together at 5-on-5
  3. NewHagel#38Guentzel#59Geekie#94
    1:46 together at 5-on-5
  1. Carlson#74Moser#90
    12:15 together at 5-on-5
  2. D'Astous#51Crozier#24
    10:25 together at 5-on-5
  3. McDonagh#27Cernak#81
    8:50 together at 5-on-5

Power play

  1. PP1Hagel LGuentzel CPoint CKucherov RCarlson D2:13 together on the power play
  2. PP2Cirelli CGoncalves CGeekie CHolmberg RD'Astous D0:50 together on the power play

Penalty kill

  1. PK1Hagel LCirelli CHedman DCrozier D1:57 together killing penalties
  2. PK2Hagel LCirelli CMcDonagh DCernak D1:17 together killing penalties

Behind the bench

How each coach tends to run his bench, compared with every other NHL team. Each gray tick is one team, the dashed line is the league average, and the two dots are these teams.

BUFTBL

Lines kept together · 2026–27

BUF 64% (12th most shuffled)TBL 57% (6th most shuffled)
← Shuffles linesKeeps lines together →

Pulling the goalie when down a goal · 2025–26 · fewer than 10 pulls, so this one can swing a lot

BUF 1:54 left (13th earliest · 9 pulls)TBL 2:04 left (5th earliest · 16 pulls)
← Pulls latePulls early →

Average shift · 2025–26

BUF 46.8s (7th shortest)TBL 49.1s (11th longest)
← Short shiftsLong shifts →

Caught on long shifts · 2025–26

BUF 28% (14th least often)TBL 28% (12th least often)
← Rarely caughtOften caught →

Season series