Brandon Hagel and Rasmus Dahlin will be leading the way for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres, respectively, when the two teams face off on Saturday, Feb. 28 at Benchmark International Arena, starting at 7 p.m. ET. Here is everything you need to know about the Lightning-Sabres game, from the puck lined, moneyline, total Over/Under and expert picks, as well as TV channel and streaming information.
Lightning vs. Sabres Game Information and TV Channel
- When: Saturday, February 28, 2026 at 7 p.m. ET
- Where: Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida
- TV: ESPN+
- Live Boxscore: FOX Sports
| Favorite | Puck Line | Favorite Puck Line Odds | Underdog Puck Line Odds | Total | Over Total Odds | Under Total Odds | Favorite Moneyline | Underdog Moneyline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | -1.5 | 100 | -120 | 6.5 | -105 | -115 | -245 | +200 |
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.
Lightning vs. Sabres Prediction
ATS Pick: Lightning (- 1.5)
O/U Pick: Under (6.5)
Score Prediction: Lightning 4 - Sabres 2
Lightning vs. Sabres Betting Insights
- In 25 games this season, Tampa Bay and its opponent have combined for more than 6.5 goals.
- Buffalo has combined with its opponent to score over 6.5 goals in 28 of 59 games this season.
- The teams average 6.9 goals per game combined, 0.4 more than this game's total.
- Combined, these teams allow 5.6 goals per game, 0.9 fewer than this game's over/under.
- The Sabres are eighth in the league in goals scored, compared to the third-ranked Lightning.
- The Lightning are second in the league in goals conceded, and the Sabres are 14th.
Lightning Stats
- The Lightning's 203 total goals (3.6 per game) rank third in the league.
- Defensively, Tampa Bay has been one of the stingiest squads in NHL play, giving up 145 total goals (2.5 per game) to rank second.
- Their +58 goal differential is second-best in the league.
- The 39 power-play goals Tampa Bay has put up this season (to rank 11th in the NHL) have come on 180 chances.
- The Lightning are 13th in the league with a 21.67% power-play conversion rate.
- Tampa Bay has scored three shorthanded goals this season.
Lightning Leaders
| Name | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | Giveaways | Takeaways | Faceoff Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikita Kucherov | 53 | 31 | 64 | 95 | 89 | 15 | 0% |
| Jake Guentzel | 57 | 26 | 37 | 63 | 51 | 19 | 46.2% |
| Brandon Hagel | 52 | 28 | 27 | 55 | 53 | 24 | 40.7% |
| Darren Raddysh | 51 | 17 | 36 | 53 | 56 | 9 | - |
| Brayden Point | 39 | 14 | 21 | 35 | 22 | 6 | 46.7% |
Lightning Player Props
Sabres Stats
- With 197 goals (3.3 per game), the Sabres have the NHL's eighth-best offense.
- Buffalo concedes 3.0 goals per game (179 total), which ranks 14th in the NHL.
- Their +18 goal differential is ninth-best in the league.
- Buffalo has 35 power-play goals (16th in NHL) on 175 chances.
- The Sabres have the NHL's 15th-ranked power-play percentage (20).
- Buffalo has scored seven shorthanded goals (second in NHL).
Sabres Leaders
| Name | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | Giveaways | Takeaways | Faceoff Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tage Thompson | 59 | 31 | 31 | 62 | 54 | 21 | 45.1% |
| Alex Tuch | 58 | 22 | 27 | 49 | 48 | 29 | 44.4% |
| Rasmus Dahlin | 55 | 11 | 37 | 48 | 89 | 24 | - |
| Ryan McLeod | 59 | 11 | 31 | 42 | 67 | 27 | 46.4% |
| Josh Doan | 59 | 19 | 20 | 39 | 48 | 38 | 26.7% |
Sabres Player Props
FOX Sports created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
