Buffalo Sabres vs San Jose Sharks Picks and Predictions for Tuesday, October 27, 2026

Buffalo is still trying to get its season moving in the right direction. The Sabres have lost three straight, including Saturday's 4-3 overtime defeat in Washington, and now they're heading to San Jose. Tuesday's game at SAP Center starts at 10:30 pm ET on ESPN. Buffalo is 4-4-3 and tied for seventh in the Atlantic Division. The Sharks have been getting better results lately, winning twice on their recent road trip before losing 6-4 in Boston. San Jose is 6-5-1, good for fourth in the Pacific Division. You can find more matchups in our free NHL picks for Tuesday.

Buffalo Sabres Need to Get More From Their Goaltending

It's been a frustrating couple of weeks for Buffalo. The Sabres beat Toronto 5-4 in overtime on October 15, but that remains their only victory in the last five games. They lost another close one in Montreal two days later, then couldn't get much going against Philadelphia in a 3-1 defeat. Saturday brought a trip to Washington and another overtime loss, this time 4-3. Buffalo isn't having much trouble staying competitive, but finishing games has become a problem. The Sabres have given up 40 goals this season, and their penalty kill has allowed 12 goals in 11 games.

There's been some encouraging play from Buffalo's forwards. Jack Quinn already has six goals, one more than Tage Thompson, and both have been regular contributors on the scoresheet. Quinn has 11 points through 11 games, with Thompson sitting at nine. Owen Power has helped from the blue line, recording seven assists and two goals. Noah Ostlund has eight points, and Zach Benson has contributed seven assists. The bigger concern is in goal. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has won three of his nine appearances, but his save percentage sits at .866. Colten Ellis has a .864 save percentage through two appearances.

Injuries: Justin Danforth, Jiri Kulich, Sam Carrick, Alex Lyon and Matt Grzelcyk are out.

San Jose Sharks Have Been Finding Ways to Score

San Jose can take a few positives from its recent road trip, even after losing to Boston on Saturday. The Sharks beat Montreal 4-3 in overtime and followed that with a 6-2 win against Ottawa. Boston was a different story, with the Bruins scoring six times in a 6-4 victory. That's 14 goals for San Jose in three games, a welcome improvement after the Sharks managed only one against Toronto on October 19. The trouble is that opponents have been scoring regularly, too. San Jose has given up 42 goals this season, which puts plenty of pressure on the offense.

Macklin Celebrini has given San Jose a lot to work with up front. He's collected 15 points in 10 appearances, and five of those have been goals. The Sharks have also gotten nine points each from Tyler Toffoli and Ivar Stenberg. Toffoli has been particularly dangerous on the power play, scoring three of his four goals with an extra skater. Will Smith has four goals as well. In net, Alex Nedeljkovic has been the better option so far, winning three games with a .903 save percentage. Yaroslav Askarov has three victories, but his .883 save percentage reflects a tougher start.

Injuries: Igor Chernyshov, Alexander Wennberg, Quentin Musty and Kyle Keyser are out.

Key To The Game

San Jose's power play faces a Buffalo penalty kill that has stopped only 69.2% of opposing opportunities. The Sabres need more from their goaltending, while the Sharks have to limit chances against a Buffalo attack led by Quinn and Thompson.

Buffalo Sabres vs San Jose Sharks Game Pick

• San Jose Sharks

San Jose has scored 14 goals over its last three games, and Buffalo has struggled to keep opponents off the board. The Sabres have allowed at least three goals in four of five, and their penalty kill gives the Sharks an opening. Celebrini and Toffoli have been productive with the man advantage, while Nedeljkovic has been steadier than Buffalo's goalies. San Jose gets back on track with a victory Tuesday.

Buffalo Sabres vs San Jose Sharks Over/Under Pick

• Over

Buffalo has allowed 40 goals in 11 games, while San Jose has surrendered 42 through 12. The Sharks have scored six and four in their last two outings, and Buffalo's recent road games have featured plenty of goals. Both clubs have weak spots in net, with Luukkonen sporting a .866 save percentage and Askarov at .883. The special-teams matchup favors San Jose scoring. The over is the play Tuesday night.