Buffalo Sabres at New Jersey Devils
NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and the New Jersey Devils on Feb 25, 2026. Final score: Buffalo Sabres 2, New Jersey Devils 1.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Feb 25, 2026 |
| Venue | Prudential Center |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 2 |
| New Jersey Devils score | 1 |
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 | Tage Thompson | C | 1 | 1 | 3 | 19:19 | 0.44 | 1.39 |
| 2nd | Peyton Krebs | C | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13:41 | 0.13 | 1.29 |
| 3rd | Timo Meier | R | 1 | 0 | 6 | 19:47 | 0.89 | 0.80 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Buffalo Sabres–New Jersey Devils) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd 08:10 | BUF | Tage Thompson | Peyton Krebs, Bowen Byram | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 3rd 10:36 | BUF | Peyton Krebs | Tage Thompson | 5v5 | 2–0 |
| 3rd 17:30 | NJD | Timo Meier | Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt | 6v5 | 2–1 |
Team Comparison
| Buffalo Sabres | New Jersey Devils | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 2 | 1 |
| Shots on goal | 30 | 28 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 3.06 | 4.06 |
| High-danger shots | 13 | 18 |
| Corsi % | 50.9% | 49.1% |
| Power play | 0/3 | 0/2 |
| Faceoff % | 46.3% | 53.7% |
| Hits | 21 | 24 |
| Blocks | 10 | 13 |
| Giveaways | 18 | 17 |
| Takeaways | 4 | 4 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tage Thompson | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 19:19 | 0.44 | 1.39 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 13:41 | 0.13 | 1.29 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 23:08 | 0.02 | 0.74 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19:50 | 0.05 | 0.15 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:49 | 0.00 | 0.15 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14:58 | 0.54 | 0.15 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 24:15 | 0.18 | 0.15 |
| Tyson Kozak | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:04 | 0.02 | 0.10 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 24:07 | 0.02 | 0.10 |
| Michael Kesselring | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:43 | 0.04 | 0.05 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15:45 | 0.20 | 0.05 |
| Zach Metsa | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8:16 | 0.03 | 0.00 |
| Josh Dunne | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:15 | 0.08 | 0.00 |
| Noah Ostlund | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:28 | 0.10 | 0.00 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17:34 | 0.27 | 0.00 |
| Josh Norris | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:33 | 0.05 | -0.05 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21:51 | 0.02 | -0.15 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13:28 | 0.74 | -0.38 |
New Jersey Devils Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timo Meier | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 19:47 | 0.89 | 0.80 |
| Jesper Bratt | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 18:49 | 0.53 | 0.74 |
| Jack Hughes | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 21:25 | 0.15 | 0.39 |
| Brenden Dillon | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20:15 | 0.00 | 0.35 |
| Simon Nemec | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22:23 | 0.04 | 0.20 |
| Dougie Hamilton | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 20:02 | 0.05 | 0.15 |
| Paul Cotter | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7:45 | 0.02 | 0.15 |
| Brett Pesce | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:50 | 0.00 | 0.10 |
| Lenni Hameenaho | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12:31 | 0.12 | 0.10 |
| Cody Glass | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:53 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Connor Brown | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:38 | 0.26 | 0.05 |
| Dawson Mercer | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18:15 | 0.44 | 0.05 |
| Maxim Tsyplakov | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:20 | 0.08 | 0.00 |
| Nick Bjugstad | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10:35 | 0.42 | 0.00 |
| Nico Hischier | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21:11 | 0.23 | -0.05 |
| Johnathan Kovacevic | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:13 | 0.00 | -0.05 |
| Arseny Gritsyuk | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:25 | 0.05 | -0.05 |
| Jonas Siegenthaler | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:59 | 0.03 | -0.58 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | Buffalo Sabres | 27 | 28 | 96.4% | 1.82 | W |
| Jake Allen | New Jersey Devils | 28 | 30 | 93.3% | 1.26 | L |
Analysis
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the New Jersey Devils 2–1 on Feb 25, 2026, a one-goal game.
New Jersey Devils generated 4.06 expected goals to Buffalo Sabres's 3.06 — New Jersey Devils owned the better of the chances but Buffalo Sabres took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it.
Tage Thompson led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.39 on 1 goal, 1 assist, 3 shots on goal.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 27 of 28, worth 1.82 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Buffalo Sabres vs New Jersey Devils game?
The Buffalo Sabres beat the New Jersey Devils 2–1 on Feb 25, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Buffalo Sabres 2, New Jersey Devils 1.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Tage Thompson led all skaters at 1.39, on 1G, 1A and 3 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
New Jersey Devils generated 4.06 expected goals and Buffalo Sabres generated 3.06, so New Jersey Devils created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Buffalo Sabres put 30 shots on goal and New Jersey Devils put 28. High-danger chances went 13 to 18.
How did the goaltenders play?
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 27 of 28 (1.82 goals saved above expected); Jake Allen stopped 28 of 30 (1.26 goals saved above expected).