Buffalo Sabres edge Tampa Bay Lightning 8-7 in chaotic Atlantic Division showdown as Josh Doan delivers late power-play winner

The Buffalo Sabres won a wild game against the Tampa Bay Lightning 8-7 on Sunday night in a game that was highlighted by a late power-play goal from Josh Doan that proved to be the difference-maker for the Sabres in a game that saw Buffalo win its seventh straight game.
The game was a back-and-forth affair that saw the Buffalo Sabres come back from a situation where they had let a three-goal lead evaporate earlier in the game to score twice in the third period to tie the game before Josh Doan’s power-play goal with 4:17 left in the game to give the Sabres the lead for good. The Buffalo Sabres are now two points ahead of the Lightning for the top spot in the Atlantic Division with 18 games to play in the regular season.

Five fights, 100 penalty minutes and late winner define explosive Buffalo Sabres clash with Tampa Bay Lightning

The high-scoring game became even more contentious as the game went on. When the final buzzer sounded, the two teams had amassed a total of 100 penalty minutes, five fights, and even a post-game scuffle as the tensions between the two division rivals came to a head.
Josh Doan’s two power-play goals marked the beginning and end of the scoring for the Buffalo Sabres, but it was a scoring attack that involved all members of the Buffalo lineup. Alex Tuch and Jason Zucker both had two goals for the Sabres, while Sam Carrick and star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin also got into the scoring column.
Playmaking was also a big factor in the Buffalo offense’s explosive attack. Tage Thompson had four assists, while Bo Byram had three assists to help propel the Buffalo offense to eight goals. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen had 21 saves for the Buffalo netminder.
Tampa Bay’s offense had a big game to nearly steal the game for the Lightning. The loss marks the fifth loss in the last six games for the Lightning at a critical stage of the playoff race.
The Sabres' ascension to the top of the division is a remarkable turnaround for the team. Just last December 8, the Sabres were at the bottom of the Atlantic Division. However, with less than 20 games left in the season, the Sabres have taken the top spot in the division.
The series between the Sabres and the Lightning is not yet over. They have one last game left in the season, and that will be on April 6.