First place in the Atlantic Division was on the line on Sunday night when the Tampa Bay Lightning were facing the Buffalo Sabres in Buffalo, New York. Tampa Bay had a 7-6 lead in the third period, but Jason Zucker tied the game at 7 with 5:31 remaining in regulation.
With 4:17 remaining in regulation, Josh Doan scored the game-winning power-play goal for the Sabres and they won the game over the Lightning by a final score of 8-7. With the win for Buffalo, they are now in first place in the Atlantic Division.
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They have a 39-19-6 record with 84 points. As for Tampa Bay, they have a 39-19-4 record with 82 points. The Sabres have played two more games than the Lighting have this season. It will be interesting to see who will get the number one seed in that division. This franchise has not made the playoffs since the 2010-2011 season. There are a lot of excited fans at the moment. Tage Thompson also has an 11-game point streak for the Sabres as well.
Buffalo Sabres Fans Go Crazy on Social Over Win Against the Tampa Bay Lightning
Mar 8, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres right wing Josh Doan (91) celebrates his second goal of the game during the third period against the Tampa Bay Lightning at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
There are a lot of Sabres fans who are excited about the win against the Lightning and also what’s ahead for them. One fan always believed in this team and said, “NOW DO YOU BELIEVE, NOW DO YOU BELIEVE!! These guys are good, scary good.” This team is no doubt scary good and a serious Stanley Cup contender now. Who would have thought this would have potentially happened this season.
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Lindy Ruff deserves credit for this turnaround. He should win the Jack Adams Trophy this season (coach of the year). Another fan said, “THIS IS OUR DIVISION (SOON TO BE CONFERENCE) NOW.” The top two teams in the east at the moment are the Sabres and the Carolina Hurricanes. Imagine if that was the Eastern Conference Finals in 2026. It would be exactly 20 years ago when these two teams met in the conference finals in 2006.
Carolina won that series in seven games over Buffalo. A lot of people also believed the matchup between Tampa Bay and the Sabres was the game of the year. Another fan also said, “GAME OF THE DECADE” There is no doubt that a lot of other NHL fans feel like that was an amazing game on Sunday night between the Lightning and Buffalo.
This is no doubt the biggest story of the season in the NHL. If the Sabres can get home ice advantage in the first round and make a run, it is going to be crazy in Western, New York.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.