Josh Doan strikes early in third as Sabres hold off Predators for sixth straight win
josh doan delivered a key third-period goal as the Buffalo Sabres edged the Nashville Predators 3-2 at KeyBank Center on Saturday, March 7, 2026 (ET). Buffalo leaned on timely scoring from Tage Thompson, Jason Zucker, and josh doan, plus 23 saves from Alex Lyon, to secure its sixth straight victory. The Sabres had to respond after a sluggish first period, then managed the final minutes as Nashville pushed late with an extra attacker and a power play.
Sabres seize control after slow start
Nashville opened the scoring early in the second period when Zachary L’Heureux scored at 1: 17, finishing a centering pass from Jonathan Marchessault with a wrist shot that beat Lyon. Buffalo answered in the same period as Thompson tied it 1-1 at 12: 39, taking a feed from Alex Tuch and sending a wrist shot that deflected in off Tyson Jost’s stick.
The Sabres moved in front at 14: 17 when Zucker made it 2-1, banging in a puck that rolled toward the goal line after a shot by Jack Quinn slipped through Juuse Saros. Buffalo then struck immediately in the third: josh doan scored just 16 seconds into the period, taking a Josh Norris saucer pass from the goal line and beating Saros with a snap shot from the low slot inside the left post to make it 3-1.
Nashville’s late push tightened the finish. With Saros pulled for an extra attacker and the Predators on the power play, Matthew Wood tipped Roman Josi’s slap shot past Lyon at 16: 08 of the third period for the 3-2 final, but Buffalo held on.
Josh Doan and Tage Thompson fuel the streaks
Thompson’s goal extended his career-high point streak to 10 games, and Buffalo’s win extended its streak to six. Thompson has 11 points (six goals, five assists) during the 10-game run.
In net, Lyon stopped 23 shots. For Nashville, Saros made 21 saves as the Predators fell to 28-27-8 and continued a stretch in which they have lost four of their past five games (1-3-1).
Immediate reactions from the locker rooms
Tage Thompson, Buffalo Sabres forward, credited the team’s overall play: “Obviously the team’s playing good hockey. When you’re winning games and you’re playing well, you get individual success that comes from that as well, ” Thompson said.
Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff highlighted Thompson’s confidence in his shooting: “Incredible shot, ” Ruff said. “He says to me sometimes, ‘I can score from there. ’ Whenever I mention maybe he should have passed, he says, ‘Well, I can score from there. ‘ And he does. He’s scored a lot of important goals for us. That was an important goal to get some energy in the building and get us going on the right track. ”
Jason Zucker, Buffalo Sabres forward, framed the night as a test of response: “It was good for us to have a tough period and have to respond to it, ” Zucker said of the first period, when Buffalo had only two shots on goal. “Especially this time of year. … Everyone’s in playoff mode right now. It was good for us to be able to regroup after a tough first period and come out and play our game in the second and third. ”
josh doan, Buffalo Sabres forward, pointed to the group’s ability to find its legs: “It took us a while (to find the energy), but once we did, we found ourselves taking over at the end of the second and building momentum into the third, ” he said. “When we’re rolling, we have four lines that can go play and slow a team down. So getting back to that was the focal point after the first, and I think we did a good job of that. ”
Nashville coach Andrew Brunette called it a tight game decided by small moments: “I thought we played a good hockey game. It was a battle, ” Brunette said. “Unfortunate we start the third period with that goal against and having to chase it. I thought our game was in a really good spot. Lost some momentum there in the second, a couple of little mistakes that we made, but we had our looks at the end, didn’t go in. Lot of good in the game. Kind of a playoff-type game where there wasn’t a lot of room. They’re a really good team. ”
Quick context
Buffalo’s win keeps its surge going, with the club now on a six-game streak and Thompson extending his point streak to 10 games. Nashville, meanwhile, continues a difficult run with four losses in five games.
What’s next
Buffalo’s schedule turns immediately, with the Sabres set to play the second game of a back-to-back against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday, March 8, 2026 (ET). After a night where josh doan provided the early third-period jolt, Buffalo’s next test is whether it can carry that momentum and closing execution into the quick turnaround.
