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New Jersey Devils at Buffalo Sabres

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Recap

written from the game data

The New Jersey Devils beat the Buffalo Sabres 6-3. The lead changed hands 2 times. It was tied 3-3 after two periods. The biggest swing in win probability was Jesper Boqvist's goal at 8:45 of the third period, which took the Devils' chances from 48% to 79%. Expected goals favored the Devils, 4.2 to 2.1; shots on goal were NJD 38, BUF 27. With league-average goaltending at both ends, the Devils win a replay of these chances 72% of the time. Aaron Dell stopped 24 of 27 (.889), 0.9 goals below expected; Linus Ullmark stopped 32 of 37 (.865), 1.5 goals below expected. Three stars: 1. Pavel Zacha (2 G), 2. Jack Hughes (1 G, 2 A), 3. Rasmus Dahlin (1 A).

Three stars

  1. ★
    NJD
    P. Zacha2 G
  2. ★★
    NJD
    J. Hughes1 G, 2 A
  3. ★★★
    BUF
    R. Dahlin1 A

Line score

goals · shots on goal beneath
Goals and shots on goal by period
Team1st2nd3rdT
NJDNJD314013311638
BUFBUF11321202327

Scoring

9 goals

1st period

  1. BUF
    snapxG 0.18win prob +11 pts
    0-1
    0:53
  2. NJD
    P. Zacha(9)PPG
    T. Smith (18), J. Bratt (17)
    backhandxG 0.18win prob +9 pts
    1-1
    2:06
  3. NJD
    P. Zacha(10)PPG
    T. Smith (19), J. Bratt (18)
    wristxG 0.03win prob +9 pts
    2-1
    3:47
  4. NJD
    wristxG 0.11win prob +16 pts
    3-1
    16:04

2nd period

  1. BUF
    snapxG 0.39win prob +14 pts
    3-2
    11:56
  2. BUF
    backhandxG 0.25win prob +23 pts
    3-3
    18:21

3rd period

  1. NJD
    wristxG 0.27win prob +31 pts
    4-3
    8:45
  2. NJD
    snapxG 0.14win prob +7 pts
    5-3
    18:17
  3. NJD
    wristxG 0.74
    6-3
    19:28

Penalties

NJD 6 PIM·BUF 8 PIM

1st

  • 1:30BUFCody Eakin · Holdingdrawn by Jesper Boqvist2 min
  • 3:03BUFTage Thompson · Holdingdrawn by Michael McLeod2 min
  • 10:27NJDDmitry Kulikov · Trippingdrawn by Rasmus Asplund2 min

2nd

  • 10:20NJDPavel Zacha · Interferencedrawn by Steven Fogarty2 min
  • 12:44NJDMiles Wood · Trippingdrawn by Colin Miller2 min
  • 15:37BUFSteven Fogarty · High stickingdrawn by Nick Merkley2 min

3rd

  • 14:14BUFRasmus Ristolainen · High stickingdrawn by Andreas Johnsson2 min

Win probability

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

Biggest swing: Jesper Boqvist, 3rd 8:45 — NJD 48% → 79%

Shot map

unblocked attempts · size = our xG
T. Thompson · Goal · xG 0.39J. Skinner · Goal · xG 0.25V. Olofsson · Goal · xG 0.18V. Olofsson · On goal · xG 0.18R. Ristolainen · On goal · xG 0.16K. Okposo · On goal · xG 0.09J. Skinner · On goal · xG 0.08T. Thompson · On goal · xG 0.08B. Montour · On goal · xG 0.07T. Thompson · Missed · xG 0.07K. Okposo · On goal · xG 0.06K. Okposo · On goal · xG 0.06S. Reinhart · Missed · xG 0.06S. Fogarty · On goal · xG 0.04T. Thompson · On goal · xG 0.03R. Dahlin · On goal · xG 0.03R. Ristolainen · On goal · xG 0.03T. Rieder · On goal · xG 0.03V. Olofsson · On goal · xG 0.03B. Montour · On goal · xG 0.03T. Rieder · On goal · xG 0.02T. Rieder · On goal · xG 0.02T. Thompson · On goal · xG 0.02R. Ristolainen · Missed · xG 0.01J. Skinner · On goal · xG 0.01C. Mittelstadt · On goal · xG 0.01S. Reinhart · On goal · xG 0.01R. Dahlin · Missed · xG 0.01H. Jokiharju · On goal · xG 0.01B. Montour · Missed · xG 0.01H. Jokiharju · On goal · xG 0.01J. Skinner · Missed · xG 0.01B. Montour · On goal · xG 0.00
BUF3 G · 2.1 xG · 33 att
Tap a shot for who, when and how likely
GoalOn goalMissedBigger = higher xG

Expected goals

NJDvsBUF
4.25 G
All situations
3 G2.1
2.83 G
Even strength
2 G1.4
0.72 G
Power play
1 G0.7
0.00 G
Shorthanded
0 G0.0

Expected goals: the chance each unblocked attempt scores, from our shot model, summed. 89 unblocked attempts. Empty-net goals are left out of the goal counts.

Deserve to win

on the chances created
NJD72%28%BUF

Flurry-adjusted xG 3.35 – 2.10

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

NJDvsBUF
38
Shots on goal
27
52%
Faceoffs
48%
2/4
Power play
1/3
6
Penalty minutes
8
9
Hits
13
6
Blocked shots
11
2
Giveaways
1
3
Takeaways
5

Box score

every player line
New Jersey Devils skaters
SkaterGAP+/-SOGixGHitBlkPIMFO%TOI
28D. SeversonD000040.04200—22:19
24T. SmithD022+230.19000—21:37
86J. HughesC123+340.420003319:44
76P. SubbanD000+240.59010—19:16
17Y. SharangovichC123+330.270006719:12
37P. ZachaC202060.461026118:59
45S. VatanenD000+100.01010—18:57
63J. BrattL022030.19000—18:01
11A. JohnssonL000+100.1720010017:50
70D. KulikovD000020.05232—16:43
22R. MurrayD000-100.03000—16:42
20M. McLeodC011-130.450006416:40
59J. KuokkanenC123+310.84000015:58
44M. WoodL000000.00002—14:38
23M. MaltsevL000-220.16000—10:39
90J. BoqvistC101+120.291004009:52
39N. MerkleyR000000.00110—08:48
12T. ThompsonR000-210.05000—08:29
New Jersey Devils goalies
GoalieSASVGASV%xGAGSAxTOI
47A. Dell(W)27243.8892.12-0.8860:00

Season series

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