Buffalo Sabres at Ottawa Senators
NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Ottawa Senators on Dec 24, 2025. Final score: Buffalo Sabres 3, Ottawa Senators 2.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Dec 24, 2025 |
| Venue | Canadian Tire Centre |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 3 |
| Ottawa Senators 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 | Bowen Byram | D | 2 | 1 | 2 | 24:18 | 0.13 | 2.30 |
| 2nd | Drake Batherson | R | 0 | 1 | 4 | 20:42 | 1.04 | 1.61 |
| 3rd | Dylan Cozens | C | 0 | 1 | 2 | 19:32 | 0.21 | 1.23 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Buffalo Sabres–Ottawa Senators) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 15:22 | BUF | Bowen Byram | Jordan Greenway, Josh Dunne | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 1st 17:13 | OTT | Ridly Greig | Claude Giroux | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 2nd 06:11 | BUF | Noah Ostlund | Bowen Byram, Alex Tuch | 5v5 | 2–1 |
| 2nd 09:27 | OTT | Tim Stützle | Drake Batherson, Dylan Cozens | 5v4 | 2–2 |
| OT 00:31 | BUF | Bowen Byram | Ryan McLeod, Mattias Samuelsson | 4v4 | 3–2 |
Team Comparison
| Buffalo Sabres | Ottawa Senators | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 3 | 2 |
| Shots on goal | 25 | 26 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 1.57 | 3.19 |
| High-danger shots | 8 | 11 |
| Corsi % | 39.4% | 60.6% |
| Power play | 0/1 | 1/3 |
| Faceoff % | 43.8% | 56.2% |
| Hits | 15 | 19 |
| Blocks | 16 | 9 |
| Giveaways | 10 | 11 |
| Takeaways | 4 | 5 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowen Byram | D | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 24:18 | 0.13 | 2.30 |
| Josh Dunne | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13:13 | 0.04 | 1.16 |
| Jordan Greenway | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 13:36 | 0.16 | 1.10 |
| Noah Ostlund | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 15:01 | 0.11 | 0.60 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:11 | 0.11 | 0.56 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 18:01 | 0.33 | 0.54 |
| Zach Metsa | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:38 | 0.00 | 0.49 |
| Josh Norris | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:00 | 0.06 | 0.05 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16:36 | 0.01 | 0.00 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 25:10 | 0.13 | -0.20 |
| Michael Kesselring | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12:39 | 0.02 | -0.29 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:00 | 0.00 | -0.42 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:47 | 0.06 | -0.49 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:21 | 0.16 | -0.50 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:28 | 0.05 | -0.53 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12:24 | 0.10 | -0.78 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22:48 | 0.03 | -1.28 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 26:39 | 0.08 | -1.36 |
Ottawa Senators Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drake Batherson | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 20:42 | 1.04 | 1.61 |
| Dylan Cozens | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19:32 | 0.21 | 1.23 |
| Tim Stützle | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 21:41 | 0.18 | 1.06 |
| Ridly Greig | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 15:11 | 0.09 | 1.04 |
| Claude Giroux | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16:10 | 0.03 | 1.01 |
| Artem Zub | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19:04 | 0.00 | 0.99 |
| Jake Sanderson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22:25 | 0.08 | 0.84 |
| Fabian Zetterlund | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18:03 | 0.22 | 0.76 |
| David Perron | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:21 | 0.20 | 0.76 |
| Thomas Chabot | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23:23 | 0.18 | 0.56 |
| Jordan Spence | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19:33 | 0.04 | 0.37 |
| Nick Jensen | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:47 | 0.00 | 0.37 |
| Stephen Halliday | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7:46 | 0.00 | 0.26 |
| Brady Tkachuk | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 18:42 | 0.81 | 0.22 |
| Nikolas Matinpalo | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:17 | 0.08 | 0.21 |
| Nick Cousins | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:27 | 0.00 | 0.19 |
| Michael Amadio | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:20 | 0.05 | 0.16 |
| Kurtis MacDermid | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2:40 | 0.00 | -0.32 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Lyon | Buffalo Sabres | 24 | 26 | 92.3% | 1.79 | W |
| Linus Ullmark | Ottawa Senators | 22 | 25 | 88.0% | -1.56 | O |
Analysis
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Ottawa Senators 3–2 on Dec 24, 2025, a one-goal game.
Ottawa Senators generated 3.19 expected goals to Buffalo Sabres's 1.57 — Ottawa Senators owned the better of the chances but Buffalo Sabres took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it.
Bowen Byram led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.3 on 2 goals, 1 assist, 2 shots on goal.
Alex Lyon stopped 24 of 26, worth 1.79 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Buffalo Sabres vs Ottawa Senators game?
The Buffalo Sabres beat the Ottawa Senators 3–2 on Dec 24, 2025.
What was the final score?
The final score was Buffalo Sabres 3, Ottawa Senators 2.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Bowen Byram led all skaters at 2.3, on 2G, 1A and 2 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Ottawa Senators generated 3.19 expected goals and Buffalo Sabres generated 1.57, so Ottawa Senators 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 Ottawa Senators put 26. High-danger chances went 8 to 11.
How did the goaltenders play?
Alex Lyon stopped 24 of 26 (1.79 goals saved above expected); Linus Ullmark stopped 22 of 25 (-1.56 goals saved above expected).