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Golden Knights at Sabres
NHL

Vegas Golden Knights at Buffalo Sabres

NHL scoreboard
Vegas Golden Knights
2
Buffalo Sabres
▸7
FinalTV ESPN+, HULU·KeyBank Center

Recap

written from the game data

The Buffalo Sabres beat the Vegas Golden Knights 7-2. The Sabres scored first and never trailed. The Sabres led 3-2 after two periods. The biggest swing in win probability was Zemgus Girgensons's goal at 14:46 of the second period, which took the Sabres' chances from 53% to 73%. Expected goals favored the Sabres, 3.0 to 2.3; shots on goal were VGK 24, BUF 35. With league-average goaltending at both ends, the Sabres win a replay of these chances 61% of the time. Logan Thompson stopped 28 of 35 (.800), 4.0 goals below expected; Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 22 of 24 (.917). Three stars: 1. Dylan Cozens (2 G), 2. Jeff Skinner (1 G, 2 A), 3. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (22 saves, .917).

Three stars

  1. ★
    BUF
    D. Cozens2 G
  2. ★★
    BUF
    J. Skinner1 G, 2 A
  3. ★★★
    BUF
    U. Luukkonen22 saves, .917

Line score

goals · shots on goal beneath
Goals and shots on goal by period
Team1st2nd3rdT
VGKVGK092807224
BUFBUF19213413735

Scoring

9 goals

1st period

  1. BUF
    J. Skinner(20)
    Unassisted
    wristxG 0.07win prob +12 ptsVideo
    0-1
    1:55

2nd period

  1. BUF
    D. Cozens(13)SHG
    Unassisted
    wristxG 0.15win prob +16 ptsVideo
    0-2
    0:54
  2. VGK
    B. Brisson(2)PPG
    N. Roy (23), P. Cotter (14)
    snapxG 0.15win prob +12 ptsVideo
    1-2
    1:46
  3. VGK
    W. Karlsson(21)
    J. Marchessault (21), P. Cotter (15)
    snapxG 0.37win prob +17 ptsVideo
    2-2
    4:28
  4. BUF
    Z. Girgensons(7)
    E. Robinson (6)
    wristxG 0.07win prob +20 ptsVideo
    2-3
    14:46

3rd period

  1. BUF
    K. Okposo(12)
    J. Skinner (18), C. Mittelstadt (33)
    batxG 0.23win prob +15 ptsVideo
    2-4
    2:20
  2. BUF
    O. Power(4)
    J. Bryson (4), E. Robinson (7)
    slapxG 0.02win prob +5 ptsVideo
    2-5
    6:26
  3. BUF
    C. Mittelstadt(14)PPG
    O. Power (18), J. Skinner (19)
    wristxG 0.04Video
    2-6
    12:18
  4. BUF
    D. Cozens(14)SHG
    O. Power (19), H. Jokiharju (11)
    backhandxG 0.05Video
    2-7
    17:12

Penalties

VGK 7 PIM·BUF 9 PIM

2nd

  • 0:37BUFAlex Tuch · High stickingdrawn by Ivan Barbashev2 min

3rd

  • 11:54VGKAlec Martinez · Hookingdrawn by Tage Thompson2 min
  • 16:40BUFPeyton Krebs · Slashingdrawn by Ivan Barbashev2 min
  • 16:40BUFPeyton Krebs · Fightingdrawn by Ivan Barbashev5 min
  • 16:40VGKIvan Barbashev · Fightingdrawn by Peyton Krebs5 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: Zemgus Girgensons, 2nd 14:46 — BUF 53% → 73%

Shot map

unblocked attempts · size = our xG
K. Okposo · Goal · xG 0.23A. Tuch · On goal · xG 0.23A. Tuch · On goal · xG 0.22J. Greenway · Missed · xG 0.20Z. Benson · Missed · xG 0.16D. Cozens · Missed · xG 0.15D. Cozens · Goal · xG 0.15T. Thompson · Missed · xG 0.12J. Peterka · Missed · xG 0.11K. Okposo · On goal · xG 0.10A. Tuch · On goal · xG 0.10A. Tuch · On goal · xG 0.08P. Krebs · Missed · xG 0.07J. Skinner · Goal · xG 0.07Z. Girgensons · Goal · xG 0.07T. Thompson · On goal · xG 0.07A. Tuch · Missed · xG 0.06J. Peterka · Missed · xG 0.06K. Okposo · On goal · xG 0.05D. Cozens · Goal · xG 0.05C. Mittelstadt · Goal · xG 0.04J. Skinner · On goal · xG 0.04T. Thompson · Missed · xG 0.04J. Peterka · On goal · xG 0.04H. Jokiharju · On goal · xG 0.03J. Peterka · Missed · xG 0.03A. Tuch · On goal · xG 0.03J. Peterka · On goal · xG 0.02T. Thompson · On goal · xG 0.02J. Skinner · On goal · xG 0.02O. Power · Goal · xG 0.02H. Jokiharju · Missed · xG 0.02J. Peterka · Missed · xG 0.02C. Clifton · Missed · xG 0.02H. Jokiharju · On goal · xG 0.02J. Skinner · On goal · xG 0.02K. Okposo · On goal · xG 0.02D. Cozens · On goal · xG 0.02T. Thompson · On goal · xG 0.02C. Clifton · On goal · xG 0.02R. Dahlin · On goal · xG 0.01R. Dahlin · Missed · xG 0.01J. Skinner · Missed · xG 0.01T. Thompson · Missed · xG 0.01J. Greenway · On goal · xG 0.01R. Johnson · On goal · xG 0.01R. Dahlin · Missed · xG 0.01Z. Girgensons · Missed · xG 0.01A. Tuch · On goal · xG 0.01R. Johnson · On goal · xG 0.01R. Johnson · On goal · xG 0.01Z. Girgensons · On goal · xG 0.01J. Skinner · Missed · xG 0.00A. Tuch · On goal · xG 0.00
BUF7 G · 3.0 xG · 54 att
Tap a shot for who, when and how likely
GoalOn goalMissedBigger = higher xG

Expected goals

VGKvsBUF
2.32 G
All situations
7 G3.0
2.11 G
Even strength
4 G2.8
0.21 G
Power play
1 G0.0
0.00 G
Shorthanded
2 G0.2

Expected goals: the chance each unblocked attempt scores, from our shot model, summed. 87 unblocked attempts.

Deserve to win

on the chances created
VGK39%61%BUF

Flurry-adjusted xG 2.32 – 2.92

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
24
Shots on goal
35
54%
Faceoffs
46%
1/2
Power play
1/1
7
Penalty minutes
9
37
Hits
29
27
Blocked shots
10
2
Giveaways
5
7
Takeaways
3

Box score

every player line
Vegas Golden Knights skaters
SkaterGAP+/-SOGixGHitBlkPIMFO%TOI
7A. PietrangeloD000-220.12050—22:22
23A. MartinezD000-130.04072—21:36
27S. TheodoreD000-120.09050—20:06
81J. MarchessaultR011-230.19200—19:00
14N. HagueD000-220.03420—18:27
3B. McNabbD000000.00330—17:40
43P. CotterL022+100.12100—17:23
71W. KarlssonC101-230.531006517:23
49I. BarbashevL000010.10305—17:17
2Z. WhitecloudD000-200.00130—17:15
22M. AmadioR000-210.20100—16:36
10N. RoyC011-230.473003616:07
20C. StephensonC000-210.021007115:23
11M. MorelliL000-100.14510—13:17
55K. KolesarR000-200.00200—13:03
54G. DenisenkoL000-210.01600—12:53
51B. FroeseC000-110.082103812:17
19B. BrissonC101-210.19200011:33
Vegas Golden Knights goalies
GoalieSASVGASV%xGAGSAxTOI
36L. Thompson(L)35287.8003.00-4.0059:58

Season series

BUF leads 2-0

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