Skip to content
Sabres at Devils
NHL

Buffalo Sabres at New Jersey Devils

NHL scoreboard
Buffalo Sabres
1
New Jersey Devils
▸3
FinalTV MSG+, MSG-B·Prudential Center

Recap

written from the game data

The New Jersey Devils beat the Buffalo Sabres 3-1. The Devils scored first and never trailed. It was tied 1-1 after two periods. The biggest swing in win probability was Pavel Zacha's goal at 4:30 of the third period, which took the Devils' chances from 55% to 78%. Expected goals favored the Sabres, 2.7 to 1.9; shots on goal were BUF 46, NJD 21. With league-average goaltending at both ends, the Sabres win a replay of these chances 71% of the time. Linus Ullmark stopped 18 of 20 (.900); Cory Schneider stopped 45 of 46 (.978), 1.7 goals saved above expected. Three stars: 1. Cory Schneider (45 saves, .978), 2. Pavel Zacha (1 G, 1 A), 3. Blake Coleman (1 G).

Three stars

  1. ★
    NJD
    C. Schneider45 saves, .978
  2. ★★
    NJD
    P. Zacha1 G, 1 A
  3. ★★★
    NJD
    B. Coleman1 G

Line score

goals · shots on goal beneath
Goals and shots on goal by period
Team1st2nd3rdT
BUFBUF110014022146
NJDNJD1110525321

Scoring

4 goals

1st period

  1. NJD
    B. Coleman(22)PPG
    N. Hischier (28), T. Zajac (25)
    snapxG 0.16win prob +8 pts
    0-1
    1:55
  2. BUF
    S. Reinhart(20)
    R. Dahlin (33)
    snapxG 0.00win prob +12 pts
    1-1
    7:23

3rd period

  1. NJD
    P. Zacha(12)PPG
    W. Butcher (25), K. Agostino (16)
    snapxG 0.11win prob +24 pts
    1-2
    4:30
  2. NJD
    M. Wood(9)EN
    A. Greene (20), P. Zacha (9)
    snapxG 0.36win prob +5 pts
    1-3
    18:35

Penalties

BUF 6 PIM·NJD 6 PIM

1st

  • 1:26BUFRasmus Dahlin · Holdingdrawn by Blake Coleman2 min
  • 16:22BUFVladimir Sobotka · Slashingdrawn by Miles Wood2 min

2nd

  • 10:20NJDTravis Zajac · Trippingdrawn by Jack Eichel2 min

3rd

  • 2:48BUFVladimir Sobotka · Hookingdrawn by Kurtis Gabriel2 min
  • 13:23NJDConnor Carrick · Holdingdrawn by Zemgus Girgensons2 min
  • 19:35NJDKenny Agostino · Hookingdrawn by Jeff Skinner2 min

Win probability

ours · the whole game
Tap or hover the chart for the moment-by-moment number
NJD goalBUF goalFinal: NJD 100%

Biggest swing: Pavel Zacha, 3rd 4:30 — NJD 55% → 78%

Shot map

unblocked attempts · size = our xG
M. Wood · Goal · xG 0.36B. Coleman · On goal · xG 0.17B. Coleman · Goal · xG 0.16P. Zacha · Missed · xG 0.15N. Hischier · On goal · xG 0.14D. Stafford · On goal · xG 0.12P. Zacha · Goal · xG 0.11K. Palmieri · Missed · xG 0.09B. Coleman · Missed · xG 0.08B. Coleman · On goal · xG 0.07N. Hischier · On goal · xG 0.07D. Severson · On goal · xG 0.05D. Stafford · On goal · xG 0.04C. Carrick · On goal · xG 0.04S. Noesen · On goal · xG 0.03K. Palmieri · On goal · xG 0.03M. Mueller · On goal · xG 0.02A. Greene · On goal · xG 0.02K. Palmieri · On goal · xG 0.02S. Noesen · Missed · xG 0.02D. Severson · On goal · xG 0.02M. McLeod · On goal · xG 0.02S. Santini · On goal · xG 0.01A. Greene · Missed · xG 0.01C. Carrick · On goal · xG 0.01A. Greene · Missed · xG 0.01M. Mueller · Missed · xG 0.01D. Stafford · Missed · xG 0.01M. Wood · On goal · xG 0.01M. Wood · Missed · xG 0.01
NJD3 G · 1.9 xG · 30 att
Tap a shot for who, when and how likely
GoalOn goalMissedBigger = higher xG

Expected goals

BUFvsNJD
2.71 G
All situations
2 G1.9
2.11 G
Even strength
0 G1.2
0.60 G
Power play
2 G0.3

Expected goals: the chance each unblocked attempt scores, from our shot model, summed. 82 unblocked attempts. Empty-net goals are left out of the goal counts.

Deserve to win

on the chances created
BUF71%29%NJD

Flurry-adjusted xG 2.66 – 1.54

How often each side wins a replay of these chances with league-average goaltending at both ends. Rebounds in a flurry are counted once, so a scramble is not three chances.

Team stats

BUFvsNJD
46
Shots on goal
21
42%
Faceoffs
58%
0/3
Power play
2/3
6
Penalty minutes
6
12
Hits
22
4
Blocked shots
10
6
Giveaways
11
7
Takeaways
2

Box score

every player line
Buffalo Sabres skaters
SkaterGAP+/-SOGixGHitBlkPIMFO%TOI
26R. DahlinD011+150.14102—23:49
62B. MontourD000020.06200—23:19
24L. PilutD000-130.15100—20:42
53J. SkinnerL000060.450003320:26
23S. ReinhartC101050.150005020:24
55R. RistolainenD000020.08100—20:03
9J. EichelC000040.281004720:01
71E. RodriguesC000030.171103117:31
92A. NylanderL000040.54000—15:42
43C. ShearyL000020.190005015:32
6M. ScandellaD000000.00000—15:29
8C. NelsonD000000.00110—14:01
22J. LarssonL000020.042004413:38
28Z. GirgensonsC000010.01000012:20
29J. PominvilleR000-120.18000—11:31
17V. SobotkaC000010.042145011:15
72T. ThompsonC000010.09000011:12
21K. OkposoR000030.10010—10:29
Buffalo Sabres goalies
GoalieSASVGASV%xGAGSAxTOI
35L. Ullmark(L)20182.9001.54-0.4658:25

Season series

NJD leads 2-1

Data: NHL. Model: Gridpex (expected goals and win probability built on NHL play-by-play).