Philadelphia Flyers at Buffalo Sabres
NHL game between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Buffalo Sabres on Dec 18, 2025. Final score: Philadelphia Flyers 3, Buffalo Sabres 5.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Dec 18, 2025 |
| Venue | KeyBank Center |
| Philadelphia Flyers score | 3 |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 5 |
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 | Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 2 | 1 | 19:43 | 0.09 | 2.01 |
| 2nd | Noah Ostlund | C | 1 | 0 | 2 | 13:40 | 0.09 | 1.50 |
| 3rd | Michael Kesselring | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:07 | 0.02 | 1.41 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Philadelphia Flyers–Buffalo Sabres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 07:40 | BUF | Jack Quinn | Mattias Samuelsson, Zach Benson | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 1st 08:38 | PHI | Noah Cates | Bobby Brink | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 2nd 11:01 | PHI | Cam York | Trevor Zegras, Bobby Brink | 5v5 | 2–1 |
| 2nd 16:54 | BUF | Tage Thompson | Rasmus Dahlin | 5v5 | 2–2 |
| 2nd 19:30 | BUF | Noah Ostlund | Owen Power, Alex Tuch | 5v5 | 2–3 |
| 3rd 10:20 | BUF | Josh Norris | Zach Benson | 5v4 | 2–4 |
| 3rd 14:28 | PHI | Travis Konecny | Emil Andrae, Jamie Drysdale | 5v5 | 3–4 |
| 3rd 19:52 | BUF | Ryan McLeod | Mattias Samuelsson | 5v6 | 3–5 |
Team Comparison
| Philadelphia Flyers | Buffalo Sabres | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 3 | 5 |
| Shots on goal | 27 | 28 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.66 | 3.35 |
| High-danger shots | 15 | 15 |
| Corsi % | 51.4% | 48.6% |
| Power play | 0/3 | 1/5 |
| Faceoff % | 53.6% | 46.4% |
| Hits | 29 | 24 |
| Blocks | 10 | 15 |
| Giveaways | 9 | 25 |
| Takeaways | 1 | 6 |
Philadelphia Flyers Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bobby Brink | R | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 14:38 | 0.12 | 1.31 |
| Cam York | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 20:31 | 0.11 | 1.00 |
| Travis Konecny | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 19:06 | 0.31 | 0.81 |
| Jamie Drysdale | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19:46 | 0.07 | 0.80 |
| Noah Cates | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 15:37 | 0.10 | 0.68 |
| Travis Sanheim | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23:12 | 0.00 | 0.31 |
| Matvei Michkov | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:27 | 0.35 | 0.12 |
| Emil Andrae | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 17:15 | 0.00 | 0.10 |
| Trevor Zegras | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 20:32 | 0.28 | 0.09 |
| Nicolas Deslauriers | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6:43 | 0.00 | 0.02 |
| Carl Grundstrom | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:28 | 0.23 | 0.02 |
| Christian Dvorak | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 18:37 | 0.69 | -0.01 |
| Garnet Hathaway | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:39 | 0.00 | -0.04 |
| Sean Couturier | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:07 | 0.11 | -0.05 |
| Owen Tippett | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17:21 | 0.25 | -0.30 |
| Rodrigo Abols | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8:20 | 0.10 | -0.52 |
| Rasmus Ristolainen | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:59 | 0.02 | -0.71 |
| Nick Seeler | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19:07 | 0.00 | -1.10 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 19:43 | 0.09 | 2.01 |
| Noah Ostlund | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 13:40 | 0.09 | 1.50 |
| Michael Kesselring | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:07 | 0.02 | 1.41 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 17:11 | 0.24 | 1.24 |
| Josh Norris | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 19:38 | 0.13 | 1.22 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 18:35 | 0.77 | 1.15 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 12:36 | 0.21 | 1.05 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 20:19 | 0.18 | 0.96 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 21:29 | 0.49 | 0.92 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 20:13 | 0.05 | 0.82 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 23:20 | 0.11 | 0.66 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8:56 | 0.08 | 0.44 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 19:36 | 0.34 | 0.38 |
| Jordan Greenway | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:43 | 0.00 | 0.33 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13:35 | 0.38 | 0.24 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20:41 | 0.04 | 0.00 |
| Conor Timmins | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:00 | 0.03 | -0.07 |
| Tyson Kozak | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4:46 | 0.11 | -0.25 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Ersson | Philadelphia Flyers | 23 | 27 | 85.2% | -0.67 | L |
| Alex Lyon | Buffalo Sabres | 24 | 27 | 88.9% | -0.37 | W |
Analysis
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 5–3 on Dec 18, 2025.
Buffalo Sabres generated 3.35 expected goals to Philadelphia Flyers's 2.66 — the run of play matched the result, with Buffalo Sabres earning the better chances as well as the goals.
Mattias Samuelsson led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.01 on 2 assists, 1 shots on goal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Philadelphia Flyers vs Buffalo Sabres game?
The Buffalo Sabres beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5–3 on Dec 18, 2025.
What was the final score?
The final score was Buffalo Sabres 5, Philadelphia Flyers 3.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Mattias Samuelsson led all skaters at 2.01, on 0G, 2A and 1 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Buffalo Sabres generated 3.35 expected goals and Philadelphia Flyers generated 2.66, so Buffalo Sabres created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Philadelphia Flyers put 27 shots on goal and Buffalo Sabres put 28. High-danger chances went 15 to 15.
How did the goaltenders play?
Samuel Ersson stopped 23 of 27 (-0.67 goals saved above expected); Alex Lyon stopped 24 of 27 (-0.37 goals saved above expected).