Buffalo Sabres at New York Islanders
NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and the New York Islanders on Jan 24, 2026. Final score: Buffalo Sabres 5, New York Islanders 0.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Jan 24, 2026 |
| Venue | UBS Arena |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 5 |
| New York Islanders score | 0 |
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 | Jason Zucker | L | 2 | 0 | 3 | 13:44 | 0.53 | 1.45 |
| 2nd | Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 2 | 1 | 18:14 | 0.10 | 1.28 |
| 3rd | Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 2 | 1 | 21:12 | 0.01 | 1.23 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Buffalo Sabres–New York Islanders) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd 00:33 | BUF | Jason Zucker | Jack Quinn, Ryan McLeod | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 2nd 19:47 | BUF | Tage Thompson | Zach Benson, Mattias Samuelsson | 5v5 | 2–0 |
| 3rd 00:25 | BUF | Jason Zucker | Ryan McLeod | 5v5 | 3–0 |
| 3rd 14:02 | BUF | Rasmus Dahlin | Peyton Krebs | 6v5 | 4–0 |
| 3rd 14:38 | BUF | Alex Tuch | Mattias Samuelsson, Michael Kesselring | 5v5 | 5–0 |
Team Comparison
| Buffalo Sabres | New York Islanders | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 5 | 0 |
| Shots on goal | 21 | 26 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.31 | 2.62 |
| High-danger shots | 5 | 8 |
| Corsi % | 46.0% | 54.0% |
| Power play | 0/2 | 0/3 |
| Faceoff % | 26.0% | 74.0% |
| Hits | 16 | 24 |
| Blocks | 11 | 13 |
| Giveaways | 14 | 16 |
| Takeaways | 7 | 5 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Zucker | L | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 13:44 | 0.53 | 1.45 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 18:14 | 0.10 | 1.28 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 21:12 | 0.01 | 1.23 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 17:06 | 0.37 | 0.95 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 17:57 | 0.10 | 0.90 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 24:44 | 0.38 | 0.80 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12:44 | 0.00 | 0.69 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 13:12 | 0.25 | 0.64 |
| Michael Kesselring | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14:05 | 0.04 | 0.64 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 17:32 | 0.00 | 0.59 |
| Noah Ostlund | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:56 | 0.14 | 0.10 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:26 | 0.00 | 0.10 |
| Konsta Helenius | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11:03 | 0.20 | 0.10 |
| Tyson Kozak | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:44 | 0.00 | 0.10 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:19 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 24:30 | 0.08 | 0.05 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21:18 | 0.09 | -0.10 |
| Zach Metsa | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:14 | 0.01 | -0.15 |
New York Islanders Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casey Cizikas | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:43 | 0.13 | 0.20 |
| Jean-Gabriel Pageau | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:58 | 0.02 | 0.15 |
| Adam Pelech | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20:26 | 0.06 | 0.15 |
| Emil Heineman | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 16:36 | 0.40 | 0.15 |
| Calum Ritchie | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15:01 | 0.07 | 0.15 |
| Anthony Duclair | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:15 | 0.07 | 0.15 |
| Adam Boqvist | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:54 | 0.04 | 0.05 |
| Jonathan Drouin | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:18 | 0.04 | 0.05 |
| Kyle MacLean | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:35 | 0.04 | 0.05 |
| Tony DeAngelo | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21:28 | 0.16 | 0.05 |
| Scott Mayfield | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:26 | 0.03 | 0.00 |
| Mathew Barzal | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:45 | 0.05 | 0.00 |
| Isaiah George | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:56 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Bo Horvat | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 19:20 | 0.37 | 0.00 |
| Simon Holmstrom | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:51 | 0.12 | 0.00 |
| Max Shabanov | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:43 | 0.16 | 0.00 |
| Anders Lee | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11:28 | 0.64 | -0.10 |
| Matthew Schaefer | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23:14 | 0.07 | -0.20 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Lyon | Buffalo Sabres | 26 | 26 | 100.0% | 2.85 | W |
| David Rittich | New York Islanders | 16 | 20 | 80.0% | -1.50 | L |
Analysis
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the New York Islanders 5–0 on Jan 24, 2026, a decisive 5-goal win.
New York Islanders generated 2.62 expected goals to Buffalo Sabres's 2.31 — 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; by expected goals it was close to a coin flip.
Jason Zucker led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.45 on 2 goals, 3 shots on goal.
Alex Lyon stopped 26 of 26, worth 2.85 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Buffalo Sabres vs New York Islanders game?
The Buffalo Sabres beat the New York Islanders 5–0 on Jan 24, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Buffalo Sabres 5, New York Islanders 0.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Jason Zucker led all skaters at 1.45, on 2G, 0A and 3 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
New York Islanders generated 2.62 expected goals and Buffalo Sabres generated 2.31, 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?
Buffalo Sabres put 21 shots on goal and New York Islanders put 26. High-danger chances went 5 to 8.
How did the goaltenders play?
Alex Lyon stopped 26 of 26 (2.85 goals saved above expected); David Rittich stopped 16 of 20 (-1.5 goals saved above expected).