2–5

Final

🐧 Home Penguins 14-14-5 before this game

Scoring	1st	2nd	3rd	F
BUF	1	1	0	2
PIT	1	0	4	5

Sabres at Penguins

Penguins beat Sabres 5–2 at PPG Paints Arena on December 23, 2002.

🗓 Mon, Dec 23, 2002 · 18:00 CST 📍 PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh 🏒 2002-03 🔁 Penguins lead the season series 3–0 Head-to-head history →

⭐ Three stars

Best games by the box score

1st star 🐧 PIT

Mario Lemieux

1 G, 3 A

7 shots · 21:42 TOI · +4

2nd star 🐧 PIT

Alex Kovalev

2 G, 1 A

3 shots · 18:52 TOI · +4

3rd star 🐧 PIT

Martin Straka

1 G, 1 A

1 shots · 20:53 TOI · +3

🚨 Scoring

7 goals · in order

1st period

⚔️ J-P Dumont Go-ahead 1st · 01:50

Assists: Norman Milley, Chris Gratton · beat Johan Hedberg

1–0

🐧 Milan Kraft Tying 1st · 04:50

Assists: Michal Sivek, Alex Kovalev · beat Mika Noronen

1–1

2nd period

⚔️ Ales Kotalik PP Go-ahead 2nd · 13:28

Assists: James Patrick, Brian Campbell · beat Johan Hedberg

2–1

3rd period

🐧 Alex Kovalev Tying 3rd · 11:09

Assists: Mario Lemieux · beat Mika Noronen

2–2

🐧 Mario Lemieux Go-ahead 3rd · 13:10

Unassisted · beat Mika Noronen

2–3

🐧 Alex Kovalev 3rd · 16:02

Assists: Martin Straka, Mario Lemieux · beat Mika Noronen

2–4

🐧 Martin Straka 3rd · 17:11

Assists: Mario Lemieux · beat Mika Noronen

2–5

📊 Team stats

Away left · home right

⚔️BUF PIT🐧

19 Shots on goal 28

1/4 Power play (goals / chances) 0/2

2 Hits 0

9 Penalty minutes 13

BUF shooting 10.5% (2/19) PIT shooting 17.9% (5/28)

🥅 Goaltending

Saves, shots faced and save percentage

⚔️Sabres

Mika Noronen

23/28

.821 SV% · 5 GA · 60:00 TOI

🐧Penguins

Johan Hedberg

17/19

.895 SV% · 2 GA · 59:58 TOI

🔮 Period by period

After 1st — 1–1

Sabres

Sabres — tied after 1st: 10-18-4 (31% win rate, 32 games)

Penguins

Penguins — tied after 1st: 14-14-5 (42% win rate, 33 games)

After 2nd — 2–1

Sabres

Sabres: no games found in this situation this year.

Penguins

Penguins: no games found in this situation this year.

🧩 Lines & pairings

Estimated from ice time

⚔️Sabres

L1 Brown · Satan · Kotalik 19:50

L2 Gratton · Barnes · Dumont 17:17

L3 Pyatt · Varada · Milley 13:24

L4 Boulton · Connolly · Mair 8:03

D1 Zhitnik · Patrick 23:28

D2 Tallinder · McKee 20:20

D3 Kalinin · Campbell 16:28

🐧Penguins

L1 Lemieux · Straka · Hrdina 20:53

L2 Primeau · Sivek · Kovalev 15:10

L3 Lacouture · Kraft · Donovan 11:50

L4 Nieminen · McKenna · Manderville 11:06

D1 Ference · Moran 21:24

D2 Rozsival · Bergevin 19:10

D3 Jonsson · Pushor 17:32

⚔️ Last meetings

Penguins lead the season series 3–0 Full head-to-head →

4–4 (OT) · Sabres won

❓ BUF vs PIT, answered

Who won Sabres vs Penguins on December 23, 2002?

Penguins won 5–2.

What was the final score of Sabres vs Penguins?

The final score was Sabres 2, Penguins 5.

Who scored for Sabres?

Ales Kotalik, J-P Dumont.

Who scored for Penguins?

Alex Kovalev (2), Mario Lemieux, Martin Straka, Milan Kraft.

How did the Sabres goalie play?

Mika Noronen made 23 saves on 28 shots (.821 save percentage).

How did the Penguins goalie play?

Johan Hedberg made 17 saves on 19 shots (.895 save percentage).

Where is Sabres vs Penguins played?

At PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, the Penguins home rink.

What is the Sabres vs Penguins season series?

Penguins lead the season series 3–0 after 3 games.

Have a different question? Ask the Oracle — it answers from this season's box scores.

🧭 Around this game

Each team's schedule either side of it

⚔️Sabres

Previous game · Dec 21

🐧Penguins

Previous game · Dec 21

Also on December 23, 2002

Sabres season page Penguins season page Head-to-head record Full NHL schedule