Skip to content
Golden Knights at Sabres
NHL

Vegas Golden Knights at Buffalo Sabres

NHL scoreboard
Vegas Golden Knights
2
Buffalo Sabres
▸3
FinalTV MSG-B, SCRIPPS·KeyBank Center

Recap

written from the game data

The Buffalo Sabres beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2. The Sabres scored first and never trailed. The Sabres led 3-2 after two periods. The biggest swing in win probability was Pavel Dorofeyev's goal at 8:27 of the second period, which took the Golden Knights' chances from 14% to 29%. Expected goals favored the Golden Knights, 3.8 to 3.2; shots on goal were VGK 29, BUF 28. With league-average goaltending at both ends, the Golden Knights win a replay of these chances 67% of the time. Akira Schmid stopped 25 of 28 (.893); Alex Lyon stopped 27 of 29 (.931), 1.8 goals saved above expected. Three stars: 1. Tage Thompson (1 G), 2. Alex Lyon (27 saves, .931), 3. Rasmus Dahlin (2 A).

Three stars

  1. ★
    BUF
    T. Thompson1 G
  2. ★★
    BUF
    A. Lyon27 saves, .931
  3. ★★★
    BUF
    R. Dahlin2 A

Line score

goals · shots on goal beneath
Goals and shots on goal by period
Team1st2nd3rdT
VGKVGK0721606229
BUFBUF11121205328

Scoring

5 goals

1st period

  1. BUF
    J. Zucker(16)
    R. McLeod (32), R. Dahlin (40)
    snapxG 0.16win prob +12 ptsVideo
    0-1
    4:02

2nd period

  1. BUF
    O. Power(5)
    N. Ostlund (11)
    wristxG 0.02win prob +15 ptsVideo
    0-2
    0:46
  2. BUF
    T. Thompson(33)
    A. Tuch (28), R. Dahlin (41)
    wristxG 0.08win prob +9 ptsVideo
    0-3
    5:44
  3. VGK
    I. Barbashev(18)
    S. Theodore (21), J. Eichel (48)
    wrap-aroundxG 0.48win prob +8 ptsVideo
    1-3
    6:50
  4. VGK
    P. Dorofeyev(29)
    R. Smith (9)
    wristxG 0.14win prob +15 ptsVideo
    2-3
    8:27

Penalties

VGK 2 PIM·BUF 2 PIM

1st

  • 7:39BUFAlex Tuch · Trippingdrawn by Jeremy Lauzon2 min

3rd

  • 12:50VGKRasmus Andersson · Delaying game puck over glass2 min

Win probability

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

Biggest swing: Pavel Dorofeyev, 2nd 8:27 — VGK 14% → 29%

Shot map

unblocked attempts · size = our xG
M. Samuelsson · Missed · xG 0.53R. McLeod · Missed · xG 0.22J. Quinn · On goal · xG 0.19J. Zucker · Goal · xG 0.16M. Kesselring · Missed · xG 0.15J. Quinn · On goal · xG 0.13B. Malenstyn · On goal · xG 0.13N. Ostlund · Missed · xG 0.12R. McLeod · On goal · xG 0.11J. Quinn · On goal · xG 0.11A. Tuch · On goal · xG 0.11P. Krebs · Missed · xG 0.10J. Norris · On goal · xG 0.09J. Doan · Missed · xG 0.09T. Thompson · Goal · xG 0.08M. Kesselring · On goal · xG 0.07J. Zucker · Missed · xG 0.07M. Samuelsson · Missed · xG 0.06J. Quinn · On goal · xG 0.06M. Samuelsson · On goal · xG 0.05J. Norris · Missed · xG 0.05P. Krebs · Missed · xG 0.05J. Doan · On goal · xG 0.05J. Norris · On goal · xG 0.04M. Samuelsson · On goal · xG 0.04J. Quinn · Missed · xG 0.04T. Thompson · Missed · xG 0.04J. Quinn · On goal · xG 0.04J. Zucker · Missed · xG 0.03N. Ostlund · On goal · xG 0.03M. Samuelsson · Missed · xG 0.02O. Power · On goal · xG 0.02T. Thompson · On goal · xG 0.02A. Tuch · Missed · xG 0.02O. Power · Goal · xG 0.02M. Samuelsson · Missed · xG 0.02Z. Metsa · On goal · xG 0.02J. Doan · Missed · xG 0.01R. Dahlin · On goal · xG 0.01A. Tuch · Missed · xG 0.01M. Samuelsson · On goal · xG 0.01J. Zucker · On goal · xG 0.01M. Kesselring · On goal · xG 0.01M. Samuelsson · On goal · xG 0.01M. Kesselring · On goal · xG 0.00R. McLeod · On goal · xG 0.00
BUF3 G · 3.2 xG · 46 att
Tap a shot for who, when and how likely
GoalOn goalMissedBigger = higher xG

Expected goals

VGKvsBUF
3.82 G
All situations
3 G3.2
2.92 G
Even strength
3 G2.6
0.90 G
Power play
0 G0.1

Expected goals: the chance each unblocked attempt scores, from our shot model, summed. 94 unblocked attempts.

Deserve to win

on the chances created
VGK67%33%BUF

Flurry-adjusted xG 3.75 – 2.69

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
29
Shots on goal
28
44%
Faceoffs
56%
0/1
Power play
0/1
2
Penalty minutes
2
28
Hits
15
10
Blocked shots
10
14
Giveaways
15
5
Takeaways
9

Box score

every player line
Vegas Golden Knights skaters
SkaterGAP+/-SOGixGHitBlkPIMFO%TOI
27S. TheodoreD011010.17010—24:29
93M. MarnerR000+100.000104022:11
9J. EichelC011020.110004221:19
16P. DorofeyevR101+140.43000—20:48
3B. McNabbD000+120.08310—20:36
15N. HanifinD000-130.03030—19:10
19R. SmithR011+120.21200—19:04
4R. AnderssonD000-110.06012—18:16
42B. BowmanR000011.07100—18:15
49I. BarbashevL101030.530003317:41
6K. KorczakD000010.02100—17:26
5J. LauzonD000-120.04410—15:59
10C. SissonsC000020.063107513:01
48T. HertlC000-220.232002711:47
55K. KolesarR000-210.51710—11:40
23C. ReinhardtL000010.20400—11:01
36R. LavoieC000000.04100008:34
20B. SaadL000-210.05000—08:14
Vegas Golden Knights goalies
GoalieSASVGASV%xGAGSAxTOI
40A. Schmid(L)28253.8932.72-0.2858:29

Season series

BUF leads 2-0

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