The Buffalo Sabres (32-18-5) head into Tuesday night’s Atlantic Division showdown aiming to stay hot on the road when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning (35-14-4) at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa.
How to Watch Buffalo Sabres vs Tampa Bay LightningWhen: Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026Time: 7:30 PM ETTV Channel: ESPN Live Stream: ESPN (Watch on ESPN)
Buffalo has been playing some of its best hockey through late January and early February. A 4-1 victory over the Kings highlighted the Sabres’ offensive balance, with Alex Tuch scoring a hat trick and goalie Alex Lyon setting a new franchise mark with his tenth straight win in net. The Sabres followed that up with a 5-3 road win against the Panthers, showing they can score in bunches and respond in tight spots. Buffalo enters tonight with a 6-1 run in its last seven games overall, giving the team confidence heading into a tough divisional road test.
Tampa Bay enters Tuesday’s matchup as the Atlantic Division leader, boasting one of the NHL’s most efficient offenses and a stout defensive structure. Leading the team is Nikita Kucherov, who tops the team in scoring and remains among the league’s elite playmakers. The Lightning also came off a thrilling 6-5 comeback win against the Boston Bruins in the Stadium Series, where Tampa erased a multi-goal deficit and eventually prevailed in a shootout. That kind of resilience embodies the Lightning’s identity and makes them a dangerous opponent at home.
This season, the NHL has widely distributed out-of-market coverage on streaming platforms, and tonight’s Sabres vs Lightning contest is no exception. You can stream the game live via ESPN beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Subscribers who access ESPN through the Hulu or Disney+ bundles can also reach the live stream through those platforms under the ESPN section.
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