Buffalo Sabres vs Florida Panthers Prediction, 2/27/2026 NHL Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Buffalo Sabres vs Florida Panthers

Date: Friday, February 27, 2026

Location: Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, FL

TV: Scripps Sports Local

The Buffalo Sabres (32-19-6) are on their way to Amerant Bank Arena on Friday where they will play the Florida Panthers (29-25-3).

The Buffalo Sabres will need a bounce back game after taking a 5-2 defeat against the Penguins in their previous game. Buffalo amassed 11 penalty mins in this outing. The Sabres didn't have their best offensive outing in this defeat. Furthermore, they had 5 power play attempts and notched 1 goal. In the matchup, they scored on 2 of the 28 shots they launched.

With regard to their goal scoring prowess, the Buffalo Sabres have racked up 192 goals (8th in the league) this year and have allowed 176. For the year, they have 70 points and their points percentage sits at .614. Buffalo comes into tonight with 169 power play chances and they have tallied 34 goals out of those attempts, giving them a rate of 20.12%. While at even strength, the Sabres have surrendered 149 goals while having 158 as an offensive unit. Buffalo has attempted 1,575 shots and is the owner of a shot percentage of 12.2%. The Sabres have seen 1,713 shots attempted against them and hold a save percentage of .897. Buffalo Sabres opponents have tallied 154 power play opportunities (26th in the league) and have tallied 27 goals in those attempts.

The player between the pipes for this game is Alex Lyon. Lyon has taken the ice for 140 matchups during his NHL career. He has earned an overall record of 65-46-14 and he has started in 125 games. Opponents have scored 371 goals against Lyon in his professional hockey career and his goals against average per game is 2.97. Lyon has seen 3,864 shots taken against him and he has 3,493 total saves. His save percentage currently is .904 during his 6,052 mins played. In his career, Lyon is sitting with 69 quality starts and his quality starts percentage is .552.

When they were on the ice last, Florida faced off against the Lightning in a game where the Panthers ended up taking the loss by a final of 6-1. They had 6 power play opportunities in this game and netted 1 out of those chances. The Panthers scored 1 goal out of the 34 shots on goal they were seeking.

The Panthers are sitting with 130 goals at even strength and 40 goals (8th in the league) while on the power play. Florida has taken 1,652 shots (9th in hockey) and has earned a shooting percentage of 10.29%, while allowing their opponents 1,471 shots. Over the course of the season, the Florida Panthers have earned a total of 170 goals, 61 points, in addition to a points percentage of .535. They have granted a total of 190 goals to be scored by of a combination of 155 goals at even strength and 35 goals while they were shorthanded. They have a tally of 209 power play opportunities and they have accumulated a power play rate of 19.14%. They have accumulated a penalty kill percentage of 82.59% on their opponents 201 power play opportunities, and their save percentage comes in at 87.1%.

For the opposition you are likely to see Daniil Tarasov in net. Tarasov has a lifetime mark of 27-42-8 and has participated in 84 contests. Tarasov's percentage of quality starts comes out to 49.4% and he has made 39 quality starts in his NHL career. He has accounted for 2,241 saves out of the 2,495 shots attempted against him, giving him a rate of .898. His opposition is averaging 3.22 goals/game and he has relinquished 254 goals altogether. He has started in 79 games and has accumulated 3,491 minutes.

Who will win tonight's NHL game against the spread or moneyline?

Tony's Pick: Take Buffalo

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