Washington Capitals at Buffalo Sabres
NHL game between the Washington Capitals and the Buffalo Sabres on Nov 01, 2025. Final score: Washington Capitals 3, Buffalo Sabres 4.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Nov 01, 2025 |
| Venue | KeyBank Center |
| Washington Capitals score | 3 |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 4 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Matt Roy | D | 0 | 1 | 3 | 19:44 | 0.08 | 0.94 |
| 2nd | Isak Rosen | R | 1 | 0 | 3 | 14:44 | 0.23 | 0.90 |
| 3rd | Aliaksei Protas | C | 1 | 0 | 2 | 18:25 | 0.35 | 0.80 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Washington Capitals–Buffalo Sabres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 01:07 | WSH | Dylan Strome | Ryan Leonard | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 1st 02:15 | WSH | Aliaksei Protas | Connor McMichael, Tom Wilson | 5v5 | 2–0 |
| 1st 02:30 | BUF | Tage Thompson | Jason Zucker, Jordan Greenway | 5v5 | 2–1 |
| 1st 10:02 | BUF | Alex Tuch | Josh Doan, Owen Power | 5v5 | 2–2 |
| 1st 18:45 | BUF | Isak Rosen | Jack Quinn, Conor Timmins | 5v5 | 2–3 |
| 2nd 19:17 | WSH | Sonny Milano | Matt Roy, Martin Fehérváry | 5v5 | 3–3 |
| P5 00:00 | BUF | Bowen Byram | — | 1v0 | 3–3 |
Team Comparison
| Washington Capitals | Buffalo Sabres | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 3 | 4 |
| Shots on goal | 34 | 24 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 3.96 | 3.85 |
| High-danger shots | 13 | 14 |
| Corsi % | 55.0% | 45.0% |
| Power play | 0/4 | 0/3 |
| Faceoff % | 51.9% | 48.1% |
| Hits | 17 | 22 |
| Blocks | 13 | 13 |
| Giveaways | 14 | 16 |
| Takeaways | 4 | 3 |
Washington Capitals Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Roy | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 19:44 | 0.08 | 0.94 |
| Aliaksei Protas | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 18:25 | 0.35 | 0.80 |
| Sonny Milano | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9:07 | 0.11 | 0.75 |
| Dylan Strome | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 22:13 | 0.40 | 0.75 |
| Connor McMichael | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 16:48 | 0.03 | 0.69 |
| Martin Fehérváry | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17:55 | 0.01 | 0.64 |
| Ryan Leonard | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12:14 | 0.10 | 0.29 |
| Justin Sourdif | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:02 | 0.07 | 0.15 |
| Nic Dowd | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:41 | 0.01 | 0.15 |
| John Carlson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 28:05 | 0.41 | 0.10 |
| Trevor van Riemsdyk | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:00 | 0.06 | 0.05 |
| Alex Ovechkin | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 19:15 | 0.27 | 0.05 |
| Jakob Chychrun | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 27:21 | 0.22 | 0.05 |
| Brandon Duhaime | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:13 | 0.05 | 0.00 |
| Anthony Beauvillier | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 17:27 | 0.43 | 0.00 |
| Hendrix Lapierre | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:27 | 0.14 | -0.05 |
| Declan Chisholm | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:39 | 0.02 | -0.20 |
| Tom Wilson | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15:32 | 0.11 | -0.58 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isak Rosen | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 14:44 | 0.23 | 0.90 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 15:32 | 0.16 | 0.79 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 19:23 | 0.63 | 0.75 |
| Conor Timmins | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17:47 | 0.02 | 0.69 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16:23 | 0.05 | 0.69 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15:07 | 0.22 | 0.59 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 19:54 | 0.01 | 0.59 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 20:14 | 0.17 | 0.50 |
| Jordan Greenway | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 13:28 | 0.00 | 0.32 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 20:22 | 0.09 | 0.30 |
| Josh Dunne | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:51 | 0.06 | 0.10 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:42 | 0.02 | 0.05 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26:12 | 0.06 | 0.00 |
| Jiri Kulich | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:19 | 0.22 | 0.00 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 18:05 | 0.46 | -0.05 |
| Michael Kesselring | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:27 | 0.00 | -0.05 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:08 | 0.20 | -0.10 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:54 | 0.08 | -0.15 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Lindgren | Washington Capitals | 21 | 24 | 87.5% | -0.84 | O |
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | Buffalo Sabres | 31 | 34 | 91.2% | 0.10 | W |
Analysis
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Washington Capitals 4–3 on Nov 01, 2025, a one-goal game.
Buffalo Sabres generated 3.85 expected goals to Washington Capitals's 3.96 — Washington Capitals owned the better of the chances but Buffalo Sabres took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it; by expected goals it was close to a coin flip.
Matt Roy led all skaters with a Game Score of 0.94 on 1 assist, 3 shots on goal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Washington Capitals vs Buffalo Sabres game?
The Buffalo Sabres beat the Washington Capitals 4–3 on Nov 01, 2025.
What was the final score?
The final score was Buffalo Sabres 4, Washington Capitals 3.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Matt Roy led all skaters at 0.94, on 0G, 1A and 3 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Buffalo Sabres generated 3.85 expected goals and Washington Capitals generated 3.96, so Washington Capitals created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Washington Capitals put 34 shots on goal and Buffalo Sabres put 24. High-danger chances went 13 to 14.