Buffalo Sabres at Vancouver Canucks
NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Vancouver Canucks on Dec 11, 2025. Final score: Buffalo Sabres 3, Vancouver Canucks 2.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Dec 11, 2025 |
| Venue | Rogers Arena |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 3 |
| Vancouver Canucks score | 2 |
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 | Rasmus Dahlin | D | 1 | 1 | 3 | 24:51 | 0.11 | 1.64 |
| 2nd | Tage Thompson | C | 1 | 1 | 5 | 19:06 | 0.34 | 1.39 |
| 3rd | Kiefer Sherwood | L | 1 | 0 | 2 | 19:24 | 0.12 | 0.85 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Buffalo Sabres–Vancouver Canucks) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 07:36 | BUF | Rasmus Dahlin | Ryan McLeod, Jack Quinn | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 1st 19:49 | VAN | Kiefer Sherwood | Conor Garland, Quinn Hughes | 5v4 | 1–1 |
| 2nd 06:15 | VAN | Max Sasson | Jake DeBrusk, Elias Pettersson | 5v5 | 1–2 |
| 2nd 09:12 | BUF | Tage Thompson | Rasmus Dahlin | 5v5 | 2–2 |
| 2nd 14:46 | BUF | Zach Benson | Josh Doan, Tage Thompson | 4v5 | 3–2 |
Team Comparison
| Buffalo Sabres | Vancouver Canucks | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 3 | 2 |
| Shots on goal | 15 | 32 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 1.34 | 3.80 |
| High-danger shots | 6 | 20 |
| Corsi % | 30.6% | 69.4% |
| Power play | 1/2 | 1/2 |
| Faceoff % | 40.5% | 59.5% |
| Hits | 13 | 22 |
| Blocks | 26 | 7 |
| Giveaways | 16 | 11 |
| Takeaways | 8 | 4 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 24:51 | 0.11 | 1.64 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 19:06 | 0.34 | 1.39 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 18:45 | 0.12 | 0.69 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 20:52 | 0.00 | 0.64 |
| Zach Benson | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 16:13 | 0.10 | 0.60 |
| Tyson Kozak | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:45 | 0.08 | 0.40 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 15:39 | 0.21 | 0.34 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:46 | 0.04 | 0.15 |
| Conor Timmins | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21:27 | 0.00 | 0.15 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:43 | 0.05 | 0.10 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26:32 | 0.01 | 0.10 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:48 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Jacob Bryson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5:02 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Trevor Kuntar | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5:12 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20:47 | 0.13 | 0.05 |
| Jordan Greenway | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:01 | 0.11 | 0.00 |
| Josh Dunne | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6:21 | 0.00 | -0.05 |
| Isak Rosen | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:42 | 0.15 | -0.10 |
Vancouver Canucks Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kiefer Sherwood | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 19:24 | 0.12 | 0.85 |
| Elias Pettersson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13:11 | 0.06 | 0.79 |
| Max Sasson | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 14:46 | 0.72 | 0.70 |
| Jake DeBrusk | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 16:16 | 0.65 | 0.69 |
| Conor Garland | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 20:41 | 0.20 | 0.69 |
| Quinn Hughes | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 30:03 | 0.15 | 0.44 |
| Tyler Myers | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20:06 | 0.14 | 0.20 |
| Aatu Räty | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:40 | 0.20 | 0.15 |
| Nils Hoglander | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:11 | 0.11 | 0.10 |
| Evander Kane | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 17:29 | 0.16 | 0.10 |
| Linus Karlsson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:51 | 0.14 | 0.10 |
| Marcus Pettersson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:25 | 0.02 | 0.10 |
| Filip Hronek | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 23:33 | 0.14 | 0.05 |
| Brock Boeser | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20:26 | 0.16 | 0.05 |
| David Kampf | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:07 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Tom Willander | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:04 | 0.04 | -0.05 |
| Arshdeep Bains | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:20 | 0.11 | -0.15 |
| Drew O'Connor | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12:56 | 0.27 | -0.25 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Lyon | Buffalo Sabres | 30 | 32 | 93.8% | 0.16 | W |
| Thatcher Demko | Vancouver Canucks | 12 | 15 | 80.0% | -0.91 | L |
Analysis
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Vancouver Canucks 3–2 on Dec 11, 2025, a one-goal game.
Vancouver Canucks generated 3.8 expected goals to Buffalo Sabres's 1.34 — Vancouver Canucks owned the better of the chances but Buffalo Sabres took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it.
Rasmus Dahlin led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.64 on 1 goal, 1 assist, 3 shots on goal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Buffalo Sabres vs Vancouver Canucks game?
The Buffalo Sabres beat the Vancouver Canucks 3–2 on Dec 11, 2025.
What was the final score?
The final score was Buffalo Sabres 3, Vancouver Canucks 2.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Rasmus Dahlin led all skaters at 1.64, on 1G, 1A and 3 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Vancouver Canucks generated 3.8 expected goals and Buffalo Sabres generated 1.34, so Vancouver Canucks created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Buffalo Sabres put 15 shots on goal and Vancouver Canucks put 32. High-danger chances went 6 to 20.
How did the goaltenders play?
Alex Lyon stopped 30 of 32 (0.16 goals saved above expected); Thatcher Demko stopped 12 of 15 (-0.91 goals saved above expected).