Buffalo Sabres at New Jersey Devils
NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and the New Jersey Devils on Dec 22, 2025. Final score: Buffalo Sabres 3, New Jersey Devils 1.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Dec 22, 2025 |
| Venue | Prudential Center |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 3 |
| New Jersey Devils score | 1 |
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 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 22:34 | 0.09 | 1.36 |
| 2nd | Dawson Mercer | C | 0 | 1 | 2 | 15:33 | 0.16 | 1.23 |
| 3rd | Jack Hughes | C | 1 | 0 | 2 | 20:57 | 0.09 | 1.12 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Buffalo Sabres–New Jersey Devils) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 08:51 | NJD | Jack Hughes | Dawson Mercer, Colton White | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 2nd 02:26 | BUF | Josh Norris | Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 2nd 16:05 | BUF | Zach Benson | Ryan McLeod, Jack Quinn | 5v5 | 2–1 |
| 3rd 17:59 | BUF | Peyton Krebs | Tage Thompson, Bowen Byram | 6v5 | 3–1 |
Team Comparison
| Buffalo Sabres | New Jersey Devils | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 3 | 1 |
| Shots on goal | 25 | 27 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.26 | 3.18 |
| High-danger shots | 8 | 19 |
| Corsi % | 40.3% | 59.7% |
| Power play | 0/0 | 0/1 |
| Faceoff % | 41.2% | 58.8% |
| Hits | 20 | 16 |
| Blocks | 23 | 13 |
| Giveaways | 16 | 18 |
| Takeaways | 7 | 2 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 22:34 | 0.09 | 1.36 |
| Josh Norris | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 15:48 | 0.20 | 0.87 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 14:47 | 0.11 | 0.60 |
| Zach Benson | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 13:05 | 0.12 | 0.55 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 11:07 | 0.01 | 0.52 |
| Noah Ostlund | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:08 | 0.01 | 0.43 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 21:43 | 0.04 | 0.37 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 17:54 | 0.91 | 0.36 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16:48 | 0.07 | 0.32 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 18:47 | 0.15 | 0.31 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:23 | 0.01 | 0.07 |
| Zach Metsa | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:54 | 0.04 | -0.08 |
| Josh Dunne | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:09 | 0.02 | -0.13 |
| Isak Rosen | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:44 | 0.03 | -0.17 |
| Michael Kesselring | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15:41 | 0.07 | -0.25 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26:07 | 0.00 | -0.33 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 22:18 | 0.50 | -0.35 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:03 | 0.08 | -0.38 |
New Jersey Devils Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson Mercer | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 15:33 | 0.16 | 1.23 |
| Jack Hughes | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 20:57 | 0.09 | 1.12 |
| Timo Meier | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 16:19 | 1.16 | 0.98 |
| Luke Hughes | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26:36 | 0.01 | 0.90 |
| Nico Hischier | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 19:48 | 0.23 | 0.81 |
| Colton White | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12:03 | 0.01 | 0.76 |
| Jesper Bratt | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 19:29 | 0.38 | 0.76 |
| Brett Pesce | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21:11 | 0.02 | 0.62 |
| Dougie Hamilton | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22:48 | 0.01 | 0.33 |
| Brenden Dillon | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:39 | 0.00 | 0.15 |
| Arseny Gritsyuk | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:09 | 0.13 | 0.09 |
| Ondrej Palat | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:47 | 0.17 | 0.07 |
| Jonas Siegenthaler | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:10 | 0.02 | 0.02 |
| Connor Brown | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 19:03 | 0.36 | -0.05 |
| Cody Glass | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:55 | 0.03 | -0.17 |
| Paul Cotter | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:22 | 0.07 | -0.25 |
| Stefan Noesen | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:36 | 0.06 | -0.30 |
| Luke Glendening | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:28 | 0.00 | -0.38 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | Buffalo Sabres | 26 | 27 | 96.3% | 1.71 | W |
| Jake Allen | New Jersey Devils | 22 | 24 | 91.7% | -0.67 | L |
Analysis
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the New Jersey Devils 3–1 on Dec 22, 2025.
New Jersey Devils generated 3.18 expected goals to Buffalo Sabres's 2.26 — New Jersey Devils 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 1.36 on 1 assist, 1 shots on goal.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 26 of 27, worth 1.71 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Buffalo Sabres vs New Jersey Devils game?
The Buffalo Sabres beat the New Jersey Devils 3–1 on Dec 22, 2025.
What was the final score?
The final score was Buffalo Sabres 3, New Jersey Devils 1.
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 1.36, on 0G, 1A and 1 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
New Jersey Devils generated 3.18 expected goals and Buffalo Sabres generated 2.26, so New Jersey Devils created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Buffalo Sabres put 25 shots on goal and New Jersey Devils put 27. High-danger chances went 8 to 19.
How did the goaltenders play?
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 26 of 27 (1.71 goals saved above expected); Jake Allen stopped 22 of 24 (-0.67 goals saved above expected).