Buffalo Sabres vs San Jose Sharks Prediction, 3/19/2026 NHL Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Buffalo Sabres vs San Jose Sharks

Date: Thursday, March 19, 2026

Location: SAP Center in San Jose, CA

TV: NBC Sports California

The San Jose Sharks (32-28-6) welcome the Buffalo Sabres (42-20-6) at SAP Center on Thursday.

The Buffalo Sabres had a good night with a 2-0 win against the Golden Knights in their previous game. The Sabres could have played much better offensively in this win. In the game, they earned a goal on 2 of the 25 shots they attempted. They also had 2 power play opportunities but didn't convert them into a score. Buffalo compiled 8 penalty minutes in this matchup.

At even strength, the Sabres have surrendered 169 goals while notching 191 themselves. Buffalo Sabres opponents have tallied 184 power play opportunities (24th in professional hockey) and have earned 31 goals in those chances. Concerning their scoring capabilities, the Buffalo Sabres have notched 233 goals (4th in the league) on the year and have allowed 200. Buffalo has taken 1,913 shots and holds a shot percentage of 12.2%. For the current season, they have recorded 90 points and their points % is .662. The Sabres so far have had 2,006 shots taken against them and have a save percentage of .900. Buffalo skates onto the rink with 205 power play opportunities and they have tallied 42 goals out of those attempts, garnering them a percentage of 20.49%.

The player in the crease for this game is Alex Lyon. Opponents have been able to score 382 goals against Lyon in his pro career and his goals against rate is 2.94. Lyon has participated in 145 matchups during his hockey career. His save percentage currently is .904 in his 6,064 mins in the crease. He has accumulated a win-loss record of 70-46-14 and got the start in 130 games. In his professional hockey career, Lyon has 73 quality starts and his percentage for quality starts is .562. Lyon has had 3,985 shots taken against him and has amassed 3,603 saves.

Their last time out, San Jose faced the Oilers in an outing where the Sharks ended up taking the loss by a score of 5-3. They had 1 power play opportunity in this game but weren't able to notch a goal. The Sharks recorded 3 goals of the 30 shots on goal they took.

On the season, the San Jose Sharks have earned a total of 205 goals, 70 points, as well as a points percentage of .530. They have granted a total of 233 goals to be scored by of a combination of 190 goals at even strength and 43 goals while they had less men on the ice. The Sharks have tallied 162 goals at even strength and 43 goals (14th in pro hockey) while on the power play. They have recorded 216 power play chances and they have accumulated a power play percentage of 19.91%. San Jose has taken 1,708 shots (28th in the league) and has earned a shot percentage of 12.00%, while allowing their opponents 2,005 shots. They have accumulated a penalty kill rate of 78.82% on their oppositions 203 chances on the power play, and their save percentage currently comes in at 88.4%.

On the other side of the ice you are going to see Alex Nedeljkovic defending the net. Nedeljkovic has a career record of 87-70-30 and has been in goal for 209 games. Nedeljkovic's percentage of quality starts sits at 53.5% and he has 99 quality starting assignments in his NHL career. He has racked up 5,386 stops out of 5,965 shots taken against him, which gives him a save % of .903. The opposition is averaging 3.13 goals/game and he has given up 579 goals altogether. He was named a starter in 185 contests and has played 9,558 minutes.

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

Josh's Pick: Take Buffalo

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