Skip to content
Golden Knights at Sabres
NHL

Vegas Golden Knights at Buffalo Sabres

NHL scoreboard
Vegas Golden Knights
▸7
Buffalo Sabres
4
FinalTV ESPN+, HULU·KeyBank Center

Recap

written from the game data

The Vegas Golden Knights beat the Buffalo Sabres 7-4. The Golden Knights scored first and never trailed. The Golden Knights led 3-2 after two periods. The biggest swing in win probability was Paul Cotter's goal at 17:08 of the second period, which took the Golden Knights' chances from 47% to 70%. Expected goals were close — VGK 3.4, BUF 3.5; shots on goal were VGK 36, BUF 35. With league-average goaltending at both ends, the Sabres win a replay of these chances 57% of the time. Logan Thompson stopped 31 of 35 (.886), 0.5 goals below expected; Eric Comrie stopped 29 of 35 (.829), 3.0 goals below expected. Three stars: 1. Jack Eichel (3 G, 1 A), 2. Chandler Stephenson (1 G, 3 A), 3. Alex Pietrangelo (1 G, 2 A).

Three stars

  1. ★
    VGK
    J. Eichel3 G, 1 A
  2. ★★
    VGK
    C. Stephenson1 G, 3 A
  3. ★★★
    VGK
    A. Pietrangelo1 G, 2 A

Line score

goals · shots on goal beneath
Goals and shots on goal by period
Team1st2nd3rdT
VGKVGK11526415736
BUFBUF110113212435

Scoring

11 goals

1st period

  1. VGK
    C. Stephenson(6)PPG
    J. Marchessault (5), A. Pietrangelo (11)
    slapxG 0.21win prob +9 pts
    1-0
    5:44
  2. BUF
    T. Thompson(9)PPG
    K. Okposo (8), R. Dahlin (10)
    wristxG 0.09win prob +11 pts
    1-1
    16:23

2nd period

  1. VGK
    P. Kessel(2)
    N. Roy (5), P. Cotter (1)
    snapxG 0.12win prob +17 pts
    2-1
    3:43
  2. BUF
    C. Mittelstadt(3)PPG
    D. Cozens (5), J. Peterka (5)
    backhandxG 0.18win prob +19 pts
    2-2
    14:09
  3. VGK
    P. Cotter(2)
    N. Roy (6), S. Theodore (8)
    wristxG 0.16win prob +22 pts
    3-2
    17:08

3rd period

  1. VGK
    A. Pietrangelo(1)
    J. Eichel (10), C. Stephenson (7)
    wristxG 0.01win prob +18 pts
    4-2
    3:52
  2. VGK
    J. Eichel(7)
    A. Pietrangelo (12), C. Stephenson (8)
    wristxG 0.13win prob +6 pts
    5-2
    6:13
  3. BUF
    T. Thompson(10)
    J. Skinner (9), V. Hinostroza (6)
    wristxG 0.31win prob +4 pts
    5-3
    9:40
  4. VGK
    J. Eichel(8)
    C. Stephenson (9), M. Stone (8)
    wristxG 0.14win prob +2 pts
    6-3
    14:37
  5. BUF
    R. Asplund(2)SHG
    D. Cozens (6), J. Bryson (5)
    snapxG 0.23
    6-4
    16:31
  6. VGK
    J. Eichel(9)EN
    A. Martinez (2)
    wristxG 0.39
    7-4
    19:52

Penalties

VGK 6 PIM·BUF 4 PIM

1st

  • 4:32BUFPeyton Krebs · Hookingdrawn by Keegan Kolesar2 min
  • 15:46VGKMark Stone · Interferencedrawn by Dylan Cozens2 min

2nd

  • 12:29VGKMark Stone · Trippingdrawn by Victor Olofsson2 min

3rd

  • 16:11BUFRasmus Dahlin · Slashingdrawn by Jonathan Marchessault2 min
  • 17:23VGKReilly Smith · Slashingdrawn by Dylan Cozens2 min

Win probability

ours · the whole game
Tap or hover the chart for the moment-by-moment number
BUF goalVGK goalFinal: BUF 0%

Biggest swing: Paul Cotter, 2nd 17:08 — VGK 47% → 70%

Shot map

unblocked attempts · size = our xG
T. Thompson · Goal · xG 0.31R. Asplund · Goal · xG 0.23T. Thompson · Missed · xG 0.22T. Thompson · On goal · xG 0.20C. Mittelstadt · Goal · xG 0.18A. Tuch · On goal · xG 0.14D. Cozens · On goal · xG 0.14T. Thompson · Missed · xG 0.14T. Thompson · On goal · xG 0.10R. Asplund · On goal · xG 0.09T. Thompson · Goal · xG 0.09J. Peterka · On goal · xG 0.09J. Skinner · Missed · xG 0.09T. Thompson · On goal · xG 0.09C. Mittelstadt · Missed · xG 0.08T. Thompson · On goal · xG 0.08J. Bryson · On goal · xG 0.08C. Mittelstadt · On goal · xG 0.08V. Hinostroza · Missed · xG 0.08A. Tuch · Missed · xG 0.07A. Tuch · On goal · xG 0.07R. Dahlin · On goal · xG 0.06T. Thompson · On goal · xG 0.06T. Thompson · Missed · xG 0.06T. Thompson · On goal · xG 0.06J. Skinner · On goal · xG 0.05D. Cozens · Missed · xG 0.05K. Okposo · On goal · xG 0.04R. Asplund · Missed · xG 0.04R. Asplund · On goal · xG 0.04A. Tuch · Missed · xG 0.03R. Dahlin · On goal · xG 0.03R. Dahlin · On goal · xG 0.03C. Fitzgerald · On goal · xG 0.03R. Dahlin · On goal · xG 0.03K. Okposo · Missed · xG 0.03R. Dahlin · On goal · xG 0.02D. Cozens · On goal · xG 0.02J. Skinner · On goal · xG 0.02C. Fitzgerald · Missed · xG 0.02R. Dahlin · On goal · xG 0.02R. Dahlin · On goal · xG 0.01I. Lyubushkin · On goal · xG 0.01V. Olofsson · Missed · xG 0.01K. Clague · Missed · xG 0.01V. Olofsson · On goal · xG 0.01K. Okposo · On goal · xG 0.01V. Hinostroza · On goal · xG 0.01K. Clague · On goal · xG 0.01
BUF4 G · 3.5 xG · 49 att
Tap a shot for who, when and how likely
GoalOn goalMissedBigger = higher xG

Expected goals

VGKvsBUF
3.46 G
All situations
4 G3.5
2.55 G
Even strength
1 G2.4
0.41 G
Power play
2 G0.7
0.00 G
Shorthanded
1 G0.4

Expected goals: the chance each unblocked attempt scores, from our shot model, summed. 90 unblocked attempts. Empty-net goals are left out of the goal counts.

Deserve to win

on the chances created
VGK43%57%BUF

Flurry-adjusted xG 2.96 – 3.38

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

VGKvsBUF
36
Shots on goal
35
59%
Faceoffs
41%
1/2
Power play
2/3
6
Penalty minutes
4
15
Hits
8
24
Blocked shots
15
3
Giveaways
3
11
Takeaways
5

Box score

every player line
Vegas Golden Knights skaters
SkaterGAP+/-SOGixGHitBlkPIMFO%TOI
7A. PietrangeloD123+330.05110—22:21
23A. MartinezD011+510.02040—20:45
3B. McNabbD000+130.07150—20:35
27S. TheodoreD011+220.09010—20:19
20C. StephensonC134+310.211107318:38
71W. KarlssonC000-140.180006717:32
14N. HagueD000-110.11030—17:05
9J. EichelC314+371.321104416:53
2Z. WhitecloudD000-100.02020—16:37
10N. RoyC022+220.141106116:35
19R. SmithR000000.00002—15:24
61M. StoneR011+210.10214—15:19
81J. MarchessaultR011-230.290003314:52
28W. CarrierL000000.09500—14:03
8P. KesselR101+130.30020—13:35
55K. KolesarR000+120.06110—12:12
43P. CotterL112+220.29100—12:08
21B. HowdenC000010.001105011:43
Vegas Golden Knights goalies
GoalieSASVGASV%xGAGSAxTOI
36L. Thompson(W)35314.8863.47-0.5359:07

Season series

Tied 1-1

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