New York Islanders at Buffalo Sabres
NHL game between the New York Islanders and the Buffalo Sabres on Dec 20, 2025. Final score: New York Islanders 2, Buffalo Sabres 3.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Dec 20, 2025 |
| Venue | KeyBank Center |
| New York Islanders score | 2 |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 3 |
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 | Mathew Barzal | C | 1 | 1 | 4 | 23:33 | 0.94 | 1.89 |
| 2nd | Scott Mayfield | D | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:48 | 0.01 | 1.14 |
| 3rd | Simon Holmstrom | R | 0 | 1 | 2 | 17:49 | 1.04 | 1.09 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (New York Islanders–Buffalo Sabres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 01:47 | BUF | Rasmus Dahlin | Alex Lyon | 5v4 | 0–1 |
| 2nd 08:55 | BUF | Tage Thompson | Josh Doan, Peyton Krebs | 5v5 | 0–2 |
| 2nd 19:37 | NYI | Mathew Barzal | Anders Lee, Simon Holmstrom | 5v5 | 1–2 |
| 3rd 19:31 | NYI | Emil Heineman | Mathew Barzal, Matthew Schaefer | 4v6 | 2–2 |
| P5 00:00 | NYI | Mathew Barzal | — | 0v1 | 2–2 |
| P5 00:00 | BUF | Jack Quinn | — | 1v0 | 2–2 |
| P5 00:00 | BUF | Josh Norris | — | 1v0 | 2–2 |
Team Comparison
| New York Islanders | Buffalo Sabres | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 2 | 3 |
| Shots on goal | 34 | 32 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 5.71 | 5.12 |
| High-danger shots | 20 | 19 |
| Corsi % | 53.8% | 46.2% |
| Power play | 1/3 | 1/4 |
| Faceoff % | 55.0% | 45.0% |
| Hits | 25 | 18 |
| Blocks | 8 | 11 |
| Giveaways | 20 | 17 |
| Takeaways | 4 | 5 |
New York Islanders Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathew Barzal | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 23:33 | 0.94 | 1.89 |
| Scott Mayfield | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:48 | 0.01 | 1.14 |
| Simon Holmstrom | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 17:49 | 1.04 | 1.09 |
| Anders Lee | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 20:04 | 0.18 | 1.02 |
| Emil Heineman | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 18:49 | 0.62 | 0.88 |
| Tony DeAngelo | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 22:55 | 0.20 | 0.47 |
| Adam Pelech | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 26:25 | 0.05 | 0.20 |
| Marc Gatcomb | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:14 | 0.26 | 0.11 |
| Matthew Schaefer | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 23:36 | 0.27 | 0.08 |
| Jonathan Drouin | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:16 | 0.36 | 0.07 |
| Maxim Tsyplakov | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:08 | 0.03 | -0.07 |
| Calum Ritchie | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12:57 | 0.65 | -0.10 |
| Kyle MacLean | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:55 | 0.00 | -0.10 |
| Marshall Warren | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:51 | 0.01 | -0.11 |
| Casey Cizikas | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:18 | 0.04 | -0.13 |
| Jean-Gabriel Pageau | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15:34 | 0.21 | -0.19 |
| Anthony Duclair | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:48 | 0.00 | -0.19 |
| Ryan Pulock | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20:18 | 0.17 | -0.88 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tage Thompson | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 22:48 | 0.81 | 0.93 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19:09 | 0.57 | 0.84 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 25:52 | 0.57 | 0.78 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 13:29 | 0.00 | 0.75 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22:49 | 0.23 | 0.70 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24:12 | 0.00 | 0.65 |
| Zach Metsa | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:05 | 0.22 | 0.62 |
| Josh Norris | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19:39 | 0.43 | 0.33 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8:55 | 0.10 | 0.24 |
| Noah Ostlund | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:42 | 0.30 | 0.23 |
| Jordan Greenway | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:33 | 0.00 | 0.14 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 21:06 | 0.60 | 0.11 |
| Josh Dunne | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:20 | 0.15 | 0.10 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18:25 | 0.48 | -0.17 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:24 | 0.45 | -0.41 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:06 | 0.00 | -0.67 |
| Michael Kesselring | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17:28 | 0.04 | -0.73 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17:05 | 0.10 | -0.96 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Rittich | New York Islanders | 30 | 32 | 93.8% | 1.87 | O |
| Alex Lyon | Buffalo Sabres | 32 | 34 | 94.1% | 2.05 | W |
Analysis
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the New York Islanders 3–2 on Dec 20, 2025, a one-goal game.
Buffalo Sabres generated 5.12 expected goals to New York Islanders's 5.71 — New York Islanders owned the better of the chances but Buffalo Sabres took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it.
Mathew Barzal led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.89 on 1 goal, 1 assist, 4 shots on goal.
Alex Lyon stopped 32 of 34, worth 2.05 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the New York Islanders vs Buffalo Sabres game?
The Buffalo Sabres beat the New York Islanders 3–2 on Dec 20, 2025.
What was the final score?
The final score was Buffalo Sabres 3, New York Islanders 2.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Mathew Barzal led all skaters at 1.89, on 1G, 1A and 4 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Buffalo Sabres generated 5.12 expected goals and New York Islanders generated 5.71, so New York Islanders created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
New York Islanders put 34 shots on goal and Buffalo Sabres put 32. High-danger chances went 20 to 19.
How did the goaltenders play?
David Rittich stopped 30 of 32 (1.87 goals saved above expected); Alex Lyon stopped 32 of 34 (2.05 goals saved above expected).