Buffalo Sabres at Toronto Maple Leafs
NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Toronto Maple Leafs on Jan 28, 2026. Final score: Buffalo Sabres 7, Toronto Maple Leafs 4.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Jan 28, 2026 |
| Venue | Scotiabank Arena |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 7 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs 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 | Rasmus Dahlin | D | 3 | 2 | 7 | 26:24 | 0.61 | 3.97 |
| 2nd | Auston Matthews | C | 1 | 2 | 3 | 19:36 | 0.71 | 2.89 |
| 3rd | Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 3 | 0 | 21:41 | 0.00 | 2.38 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Buffalo Sabres–Toronto Maple Leafs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 07:44 | TOR | Matthew Knies | John Tavares, Matias Maccelli | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 1st 09:29 | BUF | Rasmus Dahlin | Ryan McLeod, Mattias Samuelsson | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 1st 10:49 | TOR | Auston Matthews | Max Domi, Oliver Ekman-Larsson | 5v5 | 1–2 |
| 1st 13:16 | BUF | Josh Doan | Rasmus Dahlin | 4v5 | 2–2 |
| 1st 18:05 | BUF | Tage Thompson | — | 5v5 | 3–2 |
| 2nd 11:17 | TOR | Bobby McMann | Auston Matthews, Max Domi | 5v5 | 3–3 |
| 2nd 18:17 | BUF | Rasmus Dahlin | Mattias Samuelsson, Peyton Krebs | 5v5 | 4–3 |
| 3rd 00:16 | BUF | Alex Tuch | Tage Thompson, Mattias Samuelsson | 5v5 | 5–3 |
| 3rd 11:33 | BUF | Jack Quinn | Rasmus Dahlin | 5v5 | 6–3 |
| 3rd 14:59 | TOR | Max Domi | Auston Matthews, Bobby McMann | 5v5 | 6–4 |
| 3rd 19:16 | BUF | Rasmus Dahlin | — | 6v5 | 7–4 |
Team Comparison
| Buffalo Sabres | Toronto Maple Leafs | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 7 | 4 |
| Shots on goal | 31 | 23 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.74 | 3.07 |
| High-danger shots | 10 | 11 |
| Corsi % | 52.7% | 47.3% |
| Power play | 1/2 | 0/0 |
| Faceoff % | 32.7% | 67.3% |
| Hits | 16 | 32 |
| Blocks | 19 | 13 |
| Giveaways | 23 | 11 |
| Takeaways | 5 | 8 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 3 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 26:24 | 0.61 | 3.97 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 21:41 | 0.00 | 2.38 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 18:57 | 0.13 | 1.41 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 15:44 | 0.11 | 0.91 |
| Josh Doan | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 17:19 | 0.33 | 0.91 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 13:36 | 0.00 | 0.85 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 14:21 | 0.33 | 0.71 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11:47 | 0.03 | 0.67 |
| Michael Kesselring | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:08 | 0.05 | 0.51 |
| Tyson Kozak | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:20 | 0.00 | 0.32 |
| Noah Ostlund | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:33 | 0.14 | 0.31 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:54 | 0.00 | 0.29 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:02 | 0.03 | 0.14 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22:48 | 0.24 | 0.13 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15:55 | 0.45 | -0.09 |
| Zach Metsa | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8:17 | 0.02 | -0.16 |
| Konsta Helenius | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:12 | 0.12 | -0.21 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 23:02 | 0.06 | -1.08 |
Toronto Maple Leafs Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auston Matthews | C | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 19:36 | 0.71 | 2.89 |
| Max Domi | C | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 15:55 | 0.28 | 2.19 |
| Bobby McMann | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 17:40 | 0.26 | 1.38 |
| Jake McCabe | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:54 | 0.27 | 1.14 |
| Matthew Knies | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 17:44 | 0.42 | 0.97 |
| Brandon Carlo | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:15 | 0.00 | 0.74 |
| John Tavares | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 19:58 | 0.15 | 0.71 |
| Oliver Ekman-Larsson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 21:43 | 0.02 | 0.69 |
| Matias Maccelli | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 15:36 | 0.47 | 0.53 |
| Steven Lorentz | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:04 | 0.11 | 0.40 |
| Calle Jarnkrok | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11:59 | 0.24 | 0.32 |
| Scott Laughton | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:05 | 0.06 | 0.23 |
| Easton Cowan | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:14 | 0.02 | -0.16 |
| Morgan Rielly | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20:52 | 0.01 | -0.23 |
| Nicolas Roy | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:44 | 0.00 | -0.41 |
| Nicholas Robertson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:17 | 0.00 | -0.43 |
| Troy Stecher | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:47 | 0.01 | -0.49 |
| Simon Benoit | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:40 | 0.00 | -0.67 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colten Ellis | Buffalo Sabres | 16 | 18 | 88.9% | 0.32 | W |
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | Buffalo Sabres | 3 | 5 | 60.0% | -1.29 | |
| Joseph Woll | Toronto Maple Leafs | 24 | 30 | 80.0% | -3.69 | L |
Analysis
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 7–4 on Jan 28, 2026.
Toronto Maple Leafs generated 3.07 expected goals to Buffalo Sabres's 2.74 — Toronto Maple Leafs 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.
Rasmus Dahlin led all skaters with a Game Score of 3.97 on 3 goals, 2 assists, 7 shots on goal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Buffalo Sabres vs Toronto Maple Leafs game?
The Buffalo Sabres beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 7–4 on Jan 28, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Buffalo Sabres 7, Toronto Maple Leafs 4.
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 3.97, on 3G, 2A and 7 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Toronto Maple Leafs generated 3.07 expected goals and Buffalo Sabres generated 2.74, so Toronto Maple Leafs created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Buffalo Sabres put 31 shots on goal and Toronto Maple Leafs put 23. High-danger chances went 10 to 11.
How did the goaltenders play?
Colten Ellis stopped 16 of 18 (0.32 goals saved above expected); Joseph Woll stopped 24 of 30 (-3.69 goals saved above expected).