Buffalo Sabres turn penalty kill into a dagger at PPG Paints Arena against the Pittsburgh Penguins

The Buffalo Sabres moved to a 37-19 record with 6 overtime losses and 5 points after a 5-1 result over the Pittsburgh Penguins, who carried a 31-17 record with 13 overtime losses and 1 point. Buffalo Sabres vs Pittsburgh Penguins final score reflected a Sabres road effort that ended at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh with 17,572 in attendance.

First period

The Buffalo Sabres opened with 1 goal in the first period while the Penguins scored 1 goal in the first period. The Sabres recorded 26 shots and 20 hits in the game, and the Pens finished with 28 shots and 18 hits. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 27 shots on 28 attempts and allowed 1 goal against.

Second period

The Buffalo Sabres produced 3 goals in the second period while the Penguins recorded 0 goals in the second period. The Sabres penalty kill generated 2 shorthanded goals on 2 shots, and the Pens power play finished with 0 goals on 2 shots. The Blue and Gold went 1-for-6 on the power play, and the Pens went 0-for-5 with the extra skater.

Third period

The Buffalo Sabres added 1 goal in the third period while the Penguins scored 0 goals in the third period, and the Sabres also logged 1 empty-net goal. The Swords won 60 percent of faceoffs by taking 28 draws to Pittsburgh’s 19, and Buffalo finished with 13 giveaways to Pittsburgh’s 17. Owen Power earned a starring role in the building, and the Buffalo Sabres final whistle reaction centered on a road performance that held Pittsburgh to 1 goal.

What stood out in the numbers

The Sabres posted a 19 percent shooting rate on 26 shots while the Penguins finished at 4 percent on 28 shots, and Buffalo Sabres full-time result also included a plus-minus team mark of plus-14 for Buffalo compared to minus-17 for Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh’s Bryan Rust was named a game star for the home side, and Buffalo Sabres vs Pittsburgh Penguins final thoughts also pointed to Luukkonen’s even-strength line of 25 saves on 25 shots.

Next on the schedule

The Buffalo Sabres are scheduled to host the Nashville Predators at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York on 5:30 PM EDT on 2026-03-07, with viewing available on ESPN+, MSG-B, and FDSSO. Stick with the Sabres beat for the next recap, and share this article with other Blue and Gold fans.