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Sabres at Golden Knights
NHL

Buffalo Sabres at Vegas Golden Knights

NHL scoreboard
Buffalo Sabres
▸2
Vegas Golden Knights
0
FinalTV MSG-B, SCRIPPS·T-Mobile Arena

Recap

written from the game data

The Buffalo Sabres beat the Vegas Golden Knights 2-0. The Sabres scored first and never trailed. The Sabres led 1-0 after two periods. The biggest swing in win probability was Josh Doan's goal at 18:02 of the first period, which took the Sabres' chances from 47% to 62%. Expected goals were close — BUF 3.0, VGK 3.1; shots on goal were BUF 25, VGK 29. With league-average goaltending at both ends, the Golden Knights win a replay of these chances 65% of the time. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 29 of 29 (1.000), 3.0 goals saved above expected; Adin Hill stopped 23 of 24 (.958), 1.2 goals saved above expected. Three stars: 1. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (29 saves, 1.000), 2. Adin Hill (23 saves, .958), 3. Josh Doan (1 G).

Three stars

  1. ★
    BUF
    U. Luukkonen29 saves, 1.000
  2. ★★
    VGK
    A. Hill23 saves, .958
  3. ★★★
    BUF
    J. Doan1 G

Line score

goals · shots on goal beneath
Goals and shots on goal by period
Team1st2nd3rdT
BUFBUF1100916225
VGKVGK0110909029

Scoring

2 goals

1st period

  1. BUF
    J. Doan(22)
    Unassisted
    backhandxG 0.06win prob +15 ptsVideo
    1-0
    18:02

3rd period

  1. BUF
    J. Norris(10)EN
    P. Krebs (22), M. Samuelsson (25)
    wristxG 0.81win prob +3 ptsVideo
    2-0
    19:02

Penalties

BUF 8 PIM·VGK 6 PIM

1st

  • 1:30BUFOwen Power · Hookingdrawn by Ivan Barbashev2 min
  • 13:08VGKBraeden Bowman · Holdingdrawn by Zach Benson2 min

2nd

  • 1:23VGKBrayden McNabb · High stickingdrawn by Tage Thompson2 min
  • 8:37BUFBowen Byram · Cross checkingdrawn by Tomas Hertl2 min

3rd

  • 3:46BUFSam Carrick · Boardingdrawn by Rasmus Andersson2 min
  • 9:01BUFNoah Ostlund · Roughingdrawn by Brayden McNabb2 min
  • 9:01VGKBrett Howden · Roughingdrawn by Noah Ostlund2 min

Win probability

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

Biggest swing: Josh Doan, 1st 18:02 — BUF 47% → 62%

Shot map

unblocked attempts · size = our xG
B. Bowman · On goal · xG 0.21M. Stone · On goal · xG 0.16M. Marner · Missed · xG 0.15T. Hertl · On goal · xG 0.15P. Dorofeyev · On goal · xG 0.15S. Theodore · On goal · xG 0.14R. Andersson · Missed · xG 0.14M. Stone · On goal · xG 0.14N. Dowd · Missed · xG 0.12M. Marner · Missed · xG 0.12B. McNabb · On goal · xG 0.12T. Hertl · On goal · xG 0.12M. Stone · Missed · xG 0.11B. Bowman · Missed · xG 0.11M. Stone · Missed · xG 0.10B. McNabb · On goal · xG 0.08R. Andersson · Missed · xG 0.08T. Hertl · Missed · xG 0.07B. Howden · On goal · xG 0.06N. Dowd · On goal · xG 0.05C. Sissons · On goal · xG 0.05I. Barbashev · On goal · xG 0.05J. Eichel · On goal · xG 0.05K. Kolesar · Missed · xG 0.04C. Sissons · On goal · xG 0.04J. Lauzon · On goal · xG 0.04P. Dorofeyev · On goal · xG 0.04C. Smith · Missed · xG 0.04T. Hertl · Missed · xG 0.04C. Smith · Missed · xG 0.03J. Eichel · On goal · xG 0.03S. Theodore · On goal · xG 0.03T. Hertl · On goal · xG 0.03R. Andersson · Missed · xG 0.02M. Stone · On goal · xG 0.02P. Dorofeyev · On goal · xG 0.02M. Stone · Missed · xG 0.02S. Theodore · On goal · xG 0.02N. Hanifin · On goal · xG 0.02M. Marner · On goal · xG 0.01R. Andersson · Missed · xG 0.01I. Barbashev · Missed · xG 0.01B. McNabb · On goal · xG 0.01B. Howden · On goal · xG 0.01R. Andersson · Missed · xG 0.01J. Lauzon · On goal · xG 0.01J. Lauzon · Missed · xG 0.01N. Hanifin · On goal · xG 0.00
VGK0 G · 3.1 xG · 48 att
Tap a shot for who, when and how likely
GoalOn goalMissedBigger = higher xG

Expected goals

BUFvsVGK
3.01 G
All situations
0 G3.1
1.81 G
Even strength
0 G2.2
0.40 G
Power play
0 G0.8

Expected goals: the chance each unblocked attempt scores, from our shot model, summed. 86 unblocked attempts. Empty-net goals are left out of the goal counts.

Deserve to win

on the chances created
BUF35%65%VGK

Flurry-adjusted xG 2.17 – 3.02

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

BUFvsVGK
25
Shots on goal
29
49%
Faceoffs
51%
0/2
Power play
0/3
8
Penalty minutes
6
19
Hits
28
14
Blocked shots
12
12
Giveaways
19
6
Takeaways
2

Box score

every player line
Buffalo Sabres skaters
SkaterGAP+/-SOGixGHitBlkPIMFO%TOI
26R. DahlinD000+130.20000—22:51
23M. SamuelssonD011+110.05040—22:20
25O. PowerD000000.00012—21:41
4B. ByramD000010.03112—21:31
72T. ThompsonC000000.292202519:21
6Z. BensonL000050.35100—17:17
71R. McLeodC000000.001005016:58
64L. StanleyD000+110.01110—16:18
86N. OstlundC000000.070024315:46
22J. QuinnR000020.23110—15:41
17J. ZuckerL000010.03100—14:55
10S. CarrickC000000.001025013:40
91J. DoanR101+230.22100—13:30
9J. NorrisC101+251.410205513:28
29B. MalenstynL000000.04420—12:30
73Z. MetsaD000+120.02000—11:53
19P. KrebsC011+200.001005011:10
48T. KozakC000010.0840010011:10
Buffalo Sabres goalies
GoalieSASVGASV%xGAGSAxTOI
1U. Luukkonen(W)292901.0003.05+3.0560:00

Season series

BUF leads 2-0

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