Buffalo Sabres at Detroit Red Wings
NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Detroit Red Wings on Nov 16, 2025. Final score: Buffalo Sabres 5, Detroit Red Wings 4.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Nov 16, 2025 |
| Venue | Little Caesars Arena |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 5 |
| Detroit Red Wings 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 | Josh Doan | R | 1 | 1 | 4 | 16:10 | 0.45 | 2.33 |
| 2nd | Tage Thompson | C | 1 | 1 | 6 | 18:07 | 0.82 | 2.14 |
| 3rd | Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 2 | 0 | 27:05 | 0.14 | 2.07 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Buffalo Sabres–Detroit Red Wings) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 10:23 | DET | Patrick Kane | Ben Chiarot | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 1st 10:52 | BUF | Alex Tuch | — | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 2nd 03:52 | DET | Alex DeBrincat | Lucas Raymond | 5v5 | 1–2 |
| 2nd 05:56 | DET | Dylan Larkin | Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider | 4v4 | 1–3 |
| 2nd 08:50 | DET | Alex DeBrincat | Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider | 5v4 | 1–4 |
| 2nd 17:58 | BUF | Josh Doan | Rasmus Dahlin, Bowen Byram | 5v5 | 2–4 |
| 3rd 04:25 | BUF | Tage Thompson | Josh Doan, Colten Ellis | 5v5 | 3–4 |
| 3rd 09:28 | BUF | Ryan McLeod | — | 5v4 | 4–4 |
| OT 01:05 | BUF | Mattias Samuelsson | Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin | 3v3 | 5–4 |
Team Comparison
| Buffalo Sabres | Detroit Red Wings | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 5 | 4 |
| Shots on goal | 27 | 28 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 3.13 | 3.49 |
| High-danger shots | 14 | 8 |
| Corsi % | 48.2% | 51.8% |
| Power play | 0/4 | 1/5 |
| Faceoff % | 36.1% | 63.9% |
| Hits | 19 | 18 |
| Blocks | 16 | 14 |
| Giveaways | 15 | 10 |
| Takeaways | 8 | 3 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Doan | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 16:10 | 0.45 | 2.33 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 18:07 | 0.82 | 2.14 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 27:05 | 0.14 | 2.07 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 22:31 | 0.17 | 1.64 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 18:20 | 0.31 | 1.29 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 19:20 | 0.24 | 0.90 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 16:42 | 0.37 | 0.63 |
| Michael Kesselring | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:59 | 0.02 | 0.40 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 20:28 | 0.17 | 0.24 |
| Isak Rosen | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:32 | 0.22 | 0.22 |
| Tyson Kozak | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:58 | 0.00 | 0.09 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:35 | 0.00 | 0.08 |
| Noah Ostlund | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:14 | 0.05 | 0.01 |
| Jordan Greenway | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:01 | 0.02 | -0.02 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:28 | 0.00 | -0.19 |
| Conor Timmins | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:51 | 0.01 | -0.46 |
| Josh Dunne | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:14 | 0.00 | -0.58 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:22 | 0.09 | -0.71 |
Detroit Red Wings Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucas Raymond | L | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 16:47 | 0.12 | 2.07 |
| Alex DeBrincat | R | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 18:04 | 0.78 | 1.60 |
| Moritz Seider | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 24:39 | 0.14 | 1.42 |
| Dylan Larkin | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 21:53 | 0.54 | 0.88 |
| Ben Chiarot | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 23:59 | 0.00 | 0.86 |
| Patrick Kane | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 17:06 | 0.39 | 0.86 |
| J.T. Compher | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15:44 | 0.52 | 0.53 |
| Albert Johansson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:36 | 0.03 | 0.32 |
| Nate Danielson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12:12 | 0.39 | 0.12 |
| Andrew Copp | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:20 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Jacob Bernard-Docker | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:56 | 0.08 | -0.00 |
| Michael Rasmussen | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:25 | 0.17 | -0.13 |
| Jonatan Berggren | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:25 | 0.05 | -0.18 |
| Emmitt Finnie | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:26 | 0.03 | -0.18 |
| Marco Kasper | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:47 | 0.06 | -0.21 |
| Mason Appleton | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:27 | 0.04 | -0.38 |
| Simon Edvinsson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:05 | 0.00 | -0.46 |
| Axel Sandin-Pellikka | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 22:59 | 0.03 | -0.56 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colten Ellis | Buffalo Sabres | 24 | 28 | 85.7% | -0.95 | W |
| John Gibson | Detroit Red Wings | 22 | 27 | 81.5% | -2.07 | O |
Analysis
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5–4 on Nov 16, 2025, a one-goal game.
Detroit Red Wings generated 3.49 expected goals to Buffalo Sabres's 3.13 — Detroit Red Wings 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.
Josh Doan led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.33 on 1 goal, 1 assist, 4 shots on goal.
Colten Ellis stopped 24 of 28, worth -0.95 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Buffalo Sabres vs Detroit Red Wings game?
The Buffalo Sabres beat the Detroit Red Wings 5–4 on Nov 16, 2025.
What was the final score?
The final score was Buffalo Sabres 5, Detroit Red Wings 4.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Josh Doan led all skaters at 2.33, on 1G, 1A and 4 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Detroit Red Wings generated 3.49 expected goals and Buffalo Sabres generated 3.13, so Detroit Red Wings created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Buffalo Sabres put 27 shots on goal and Detroit Red Wings put 28. High-danger chances went 14 to 8.