The more rested Lightning had the bulk of the chances early, and they turned a Sabres giveaway into a Nikita Kucherov goal. Ellis was Buffalo’s best player as he made 12 saves in the first period, including five on high-danger chances, per Natural Stat Trick.

The Panthers struck first, but the Sabres pulled back control of the game thanks to a sterling performance from Krebs.

Just days after being named head coach, Joe Brady took in the Sabres' NHL game against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. While a loss, Brady was welcomed by fans on the big screen during the game. He also did an intermission interview alongside general manager Brandon Beane.

Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk is making a big declaration after losing to the Sabres. Florida has dropped four straight.

Expert recap and game analysis of the Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres NHL game from January 31, 2026 on ESPN.

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Jason Zucker broke a tie on a power play at 5:31 of the third period and he Buffalo Sabres beat the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers 5-3 on Monday night. The Sabres have won six of seven and took over the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference standings.

Following Sunday's Stadium Series match that was off the charts in terms of production, competition and drama, the Tampa Bay Lightning will return to playing indoors when they host the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night.

The Panthers' two-goal first-period lead didn't hold up as they lost 5-3 to the Buffalo Sabres.