Buffalo Sabres at Nashville Predators
NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Nashville Predators on Jan 20, 2026. Final score: Buffalo Sabres 5, Nashville Predators 3.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Jan 20, 2026 |
| Venue | Bridgestone Arena |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 5 |
| Nashville Predators 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 | Ryan O'Reilly | C | 2 | 1 | 4 | 20:42 | 1.00 | 2.19 |
| 2nd | Konsta Helenius | C | 1 | 2 | 4 | 14:43 | 0.33 | 2.13 |
| 3rd | Filip Forsberg | L | 1 | 2 | 7 | 19:38 | 0.42 | 2.13 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Buffalo Sabres–Nashville Predators) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 08:11 | BUF | Noah Ostlund | Konsta Helenius, Rasmus Dahlin | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 1st 11:45 | BUF | Noah Ostlund | Konsta Helenius, Owen Power | 5v5 | 2–0 |
| 1st 17:24 | BUF | Konsta Helenius | Peyton Krebs | 5v5 | 3–0 |
| 2nd 04:20 | BUF | Tage Thompson | Alex Tuch, Josh Doan | 5v5 | 4–0 |
| 2nd 10:09 | NSH | Ryan O'Reilly | Filip Forsberg, Brady Skjei | 6v5 | 4–1 |
| 2nd 11:54 | NSH | Filip Forsberg | Ryan O'Reilly | 5v5 | 4–2 |
| 3rd 09:30 | NSH | Ryan O'Reilly | Luke Evangelista, Filip Forsberg | 5v5 | 4–3 |
| 3rd 18:14 | BUF | Peyton Krebs | Mattias Samuelsson | 6v5 | 5–3 |
Team Comparison
| Buffalo Sabres | Nashville Predators | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 5 | 3 |
| Shots on goal | 32 | 34 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.34 | 4.02 |
| High-danger shots | 6 | 16 |
| Corsi % | 36.1% | 63.9% |
| Power play | 0/1 | 1/2 |
| Faceoff % | 45.0% | 55.0% |
| Hits | 17 | 27 |
| Blocks | 19 | 8 |
| Giveaways | 15 | 10 |
| Takeaways | 4 | 6 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Konsta Helenius | C | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 14:43 | 0.33 | 2.13 |
| Noah Ostlund | C | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 16:58 | 0.47 | 1.50 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 12:31 | 0.04 | 1.49 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 28:02 | 0.00 | 0.99 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 13:33 | 0.08 | 0.75 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 23:25 | 0.08 | 0.74 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15:44 | 0.03 | 0.69 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12:57 | 0.01 | 0.64 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 25:53 | 0.00 | 0.59 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:25 | 0.07 | 0.35 |
| Zach Metsa | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:06 | 0.00 | 0.10 |
| Jacob Bryson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:36 | 0.00 | 0.10 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 16:32 | 0.36 | 0.00 |
| Jordan Greenway | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11:02 | 0.11 | -0.05 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 23:59 | 0.11 | -0.05 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:32 | 0.06 | -0.05 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 17:32 | 0.40 | -0.10 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19:30 | 0.02 | -0.15 |
Nashville Predators Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan O'Reilly | C | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 20:42 | 1.00 | 2.19 |
| Filip Forsberg | L | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 19:38 | 0.42 | 2.13 |
| Brady Skjei | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 26:15 | 0.19 | 0.64 |
| Luke Evangelista | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 20:35 | 0.62 | 0.54 |
| Cole Smith | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13:21 | 0.45 | 0.30 |
| Nick Blankenburg | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18:15 | 0.09 | 0.25 |
| Ozzy Wiesblatt | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:24 | 0.00 | 0.15 |
| Michael McCarron | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:28 | 0.01 | 0.15 |
| Jonathan Marchessault | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:49 | 0.06 | 0.15 |
| Erik Haula | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:28 | 0.19 | 0.10 |
| Matthew Wood | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:33 | 0.00 | 0.10 |
| Nick Perbix | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:30 | 0.01 | 0.05 |
| Steven Stamkos | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:06 | 0.06 | 0.05 |
| Nicolas Hague | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20:09 | 0.06 | 0.05 |
| Fedor Svechkov | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:19 | 0.04 | 0.00 |
| Roman Josi | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 28:24 | 0.44 | -0.05 |
| Michael Bunting | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:39 | 0.01 | -0.05 |
| Justin Barron | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:22 | 0.03 | -0.05 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Lyon | Buffalo Sabres | 31 | 34 | 91.2% | 1.33 | W |
| Juuse Saros | Nashville Predators | 15 | 19 | 77.8% | -2.68 | L |
| Justus Annunen | Nashville Predators | 13 | 13 | 100.0% | 1.04 |
Analysis
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Nashville Predators 5–3 on Jan 20, 2026.
Nashville Predators generated 4.02 expected goals to Buffalo Sabres's 2.34 — Nashville Predators owned the better of the chances but Buffalo Sabres took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it.
Ryan O'Reilly led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.19 on 2 goals, 1 assist, 4 shots on goal.
Alex Lyon stopped 31 of 34, worth 1.33 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Buffalo Sabres vs Nashville Predators game?
The Buffalo Sabres beat the Nashville Predators 5–3 on Jan 20, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Buffalo Sabres 5, Nashville Predators 3.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Ryan O'Reilly led all skaters at 2.19, on 2G, 1A and 4 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Nashville Predators generated 4.02 expected goals and Buffalo Sabres generated 2.34, so Nashville Predators created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Buffalo Sabres put 32 shots on goal and Nashville Predators put 34. High-danger chances went 6 to 16.