Minnesota Wild at Buffalo Sabres
NHL game between the Minnesota Wild and the Buffalo Sabres on Jan 17, 2026. Final score: Minnesota Wild 5, Buffalo Sabres 4.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Jan 17, 2026 |
| Venue | KeyBank Center |
| Minnesota Wild score | 5 |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 4 |
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 | Vladimir Tarasenko | R | 1 | 1 | 5 | 15:55 | 0.83 | 2.77 |
| 2nd | Kirill Kaprizov | L | 0 | 3 | 3 | 24:28 | 0.53 | 2.27 |
| 3rd | Mats Zuccarello | R | 1 | 1 | 4 | 25:35 | 0.62 | 1.75 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Minnesota Wild–Buffalo Sabres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 09:19 | MIN | Marcus Foligno | Vladimir Tarasenko, Ben Jones | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 1st 10:05 | BUF | Ryan McLeod | Jack Quinn, Jason Zucker | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 1st 19:52 | MIN | Ryan Hartman | Quinn Hughes, Kirill Kaprizov | 5v5 | 2–1 |
| 2nd 01:08 | MIN | Vladimir Tarasenko | Jared Spurgeon, Danila Yurov | 5v5 | 3–1 |
| 2nd 10:07 | BUF | Peyton Krebs | Mattias Samuelsson | 5v5 | 3–2 |
| 2nd 11:34 | BUF | Jack Quinn | Rasmus Dahlin, Jason Zucker | 5v5 | 3–3 |
| 2nd 16:07 | BUF | Alex Tuch | Tage Thompson, Ryan McLeod | 5v4 | 3–4 |
| 2nd 17:04 | MIN | Quinn Hughes | Kirill Kaprizov, Mats Zuccarello | 5v5 | 4–4 |
| OT 01:46 | MIN | Mats Zuccarello | Kirill Kaprizov, Filip Gustavsson | 3v4 | 5–4 |
Team Comparison
| Minnesota Wild | Buffalo Sabres | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 5 | 4 |
| Shots on goal | 35 | 24 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 4.66 | 2.55 |
| High-danger shots | 15 | 14 |
| Corsi % | 58.6% | 41.4% |
| Power play | 1/4 | 1/4 |
| Faceoff % | 55.2% | 44.8% |
| Hits | 31 | 21 |
| Blocks | 9 | 16 |
| Giveaways | 11 | 10 |
| Takeaways | 6 | 3 |
Minnesota Wild Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vladimir Tarasenko | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 15:55 | 0.83 | 2.77 |
| Kirill Kaprizov | L | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 24:28 | 0.53 | 2.27 |
| Mats Zuccarello | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 25:35 | 0.62 | 1.75 |
| Jared Spurgeon | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 16:16 | 0.03 | 1.70 |
| Quinn Hughes | D | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 29:52 | 0.25 | 1.44 |
| Marcus Foligno | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 14:25 | 0.31 | 1.23 |
| Ryan Hartman | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 22:10 | 0.59 | 1.16 |
| Danila Yurov | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16:27 | 0.35 | 1.13 |
| Jake Middleton | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 21:17 | 0.24 | 0.92 |
| Yakov Trenin | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:33 | 0.00 | 0.74 |
| Ben Jones | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8:54 | 0.08 | 0.62 |
| Brock Faber | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 28:41 | 0.06 | 0.38 |
| Daemon Hunt | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:36 | 0.01 | 0.27 |
| David Jiricek | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:12 | 0.00 | 0.25 |
| Vinnie Hinostroza | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12:28 | 0.49 | 0.16 |
| Hunter Haight | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:06 | 0.00 | 0.10 |
| Tyler Pitlick | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6:08 | 0.31 | -0.03 |
| Nico Sturm | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:55 | 0.06 | -0.22 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan McLeod | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 16:30 | 0.27 | 1.66 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 16:03 | 0.31 | 1.26 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 17:49 | 0.26 | 1.25 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10:31 | 0.10 | 0.88 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 18:40 | 0.31 | 0.76 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 27:10 | 0.35 | 0.59 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 26:30 | 0.00 | 0.24 |
| Michael Kesselring | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:16 | 0.17 | 0.19 |
| Zach Metsa | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7:04 | 0.07 | 0.18 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 22:17 | 0.69 | 0.05 |
| Noah Ostlund | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:09 | 0.08 | -0.08 |
| Tyson Kozak | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8:32 | 0.02 | -0.12 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:56 | 0.00 | -0.14 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:14 | 0.05 | -0.22 |
| Jordan Greenway | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:43 | 0.00 | -0.22 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21:33 | 0.02 | -0.34 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:31 | 0.05 | -0.43 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 25:36 | 0.01 | -1.34 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filip Gustavsson | Minnesota Wild | 20 | 24 | 83.3% | -0.85 | W |
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | Buffalo Sabres | 31 | 36 | 85.7% | -0.53 | O |
Analysis
The Minnesota Wild defeated the Buffalo Sabres 5–4 on Jan 17, 2026, a one-goal game.
Buffalo Sabres generated 2.55 expected goals to Minnesota Wild's 4.66 — Minnesota Wild edged the chance share as well as the scoreline.
Vladimir Tarasenko led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.77 on 1 goal, 1 assist, 5 shots on goal.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 31 of 36, worth -0.53 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Minnesota Wild vs Buffalo Sabres game?
The Minnesota Wild beat the Buffalo Sabres 5–4 on Jan 17, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Minnesota Wild 5, Buffalo Sabres 4.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Vladimir Tarasenko led all skaters at 2.77, on 1G, 1A and 5 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Buffalo Sabres generated 2.55 expected goals and Minnesota Wild generated 4.66, so Minnesota Wild created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Minnesota Wild put 35 shots on goal and Buffalo Sabres put 24. High-danger chances went 15 to 14.