The Buffalo Sabres (32-18-6) square off against the Pittsburgh Penguins (28-15-12) at KeyBank Center on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+, with each team heading into the game following a loss. The Sabres were defeated by the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 in overtime in their most recent outing, while the Penguins are coming off a 5-4 overtime loss to the New York Islanders.
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Ahead of watching this matchup, here's a peek at which squad we pick to bring home the victory in Thursday's action on the ice.
The Penguins have put up 46 goals in their past 10 outings, while conceding 29 goals. A total of 22 power-play opportunities during that span have turned into four power-play goals (18.2%). They are 7-1-2 over those contests.
Sabres vs. Penguins Predictions for Thursday
Our computer projections model for this game calls for a final tally of Sabres 4, Penguins 3.
- Moneyline Pick: Sabres (-126)
- Total Pick: No Pick - Predicted Margin Negligible
- Spread Pick: Penguins (+1.5)
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Sabres Splits and Trends
- The Sabres are 6-6-12 in overtime games as part of a 32-18-6 overall record.
- In the 12 games Buffalo has played that were decided by one goal, it has a 4-2-6 record (good for 14 points).
- In the six games this season the Sabres scored only one goal, they finished 0-5-1.
- Buffalo has taken four points from the eight games this season when it scored a pair of goals (2-6-0 record).
- The Sabres are 30-4-5 in the 39 games when they have scored more than two goals (to register 65 points).
- In the 20 games when Buffalo has recorded a lone power-play goal, it has a 12-4-4 record (28 points).
- When it has outshot opponents, Buffalo is 10-8-2 (22 points).
- The Sabres have been outshot by opponents 36 times, and went 22-10-4 (48 points).
Penguins Splits and Trends
- The Penguins have a 28-15-12 record this season and are 4-12-16 in matchups that have required overtime.
- Pittsburgh has earned 19 points (7-6-5) in its 18 games decided by one goal.
- In five games this season when the Penguins finished a game with just one goal, they earned a total of three points (0-2-3).
- Pittsburgh has three points (0-5-3) when scoring exactly two goals this season.
- The Penguins have scored more than two goals in 38 games, earning 62 points from those contests.
- Pittsburgh has scored a lone power-play goal in 18 games this season and has registered 21 points from those matchups.
- When outshooting its opponent this season, Pittsburgh is 12-10-7 (31 points).
- The Penguins have been outshot by opponents 22 times this season, and earned 29 points in those games.
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Team Stats Comparison
| Sabres Rank | Sabres AVG | Penguins AVG | Penguins Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th | 3.39 | Goals Scored | 3.38 | 8th |
| 14th | 3.05 | Goals Allowed | 2.91 | 10th |
| 18th | 27.6 | Shots | 28.9 | 9th |
| 26th | 29.8 | Shots Allowed | 27.3 | 12th |
| 16th | 20.12% | Power Play % | 26.39% | 3rd |
| 9th | 82.12% | Penalty Kill % | 84.18% | 3rd |
Sabres vs. Penguins Game Time and TV Channel
- When: Thursday, February 5, 2026 at 7 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN+
- Live Stream: Watch this game on ESPN+
- Where: KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York
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