Vegas Golden Knights at Buffalo Sabres
NHL game between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Buffalo Sabres on Mar 03, 2026. Final score: Vegas Golden Knights 2, Buffalo Sabres 3.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Mar 03, 2026 |
| Venue | KeyBank Center |
| Vegas Golden Knights score | 2 |
| Buffalo Sabres 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 | Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 2 | 1 | 25:50 | 0.01 | 1.57 |
| 2nd | Shea Theodore | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 24:29 | 0.15 | 1.50 |
| 3rd | Brayden McNabb | D | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20:36 | 0.08 | 1.32 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Vegas Golden Knights–Buffalo Sabres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 04:02 | BUF | Jason Zucker | Ryan McLeod, Rasmus Dahlin | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 2nd 00:46 | BUF | Owen Power | Noah Ostlund | 5v5 | 0–2 |
| 2nd 05:44 | BUF | Tage Thompson | Alex Tuch, Rasmus Dahlin | 5v5 | 0–3 |
| 2nd 06:50 | VGK | Ivan Barbashev | Shea Theodore, Jack Eichel | 5v5 | 1–3 |
| 2nd 08:27 | VGK | Pavel Dorofeyev | Reilly Smith | 5v5 | 2–3 |
Team Comparison
| Vegas Golden Knights | Buffalo Sabres | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 2 | 3 |
| Shots on goal | 29 | 28 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 4.42 | 3.28 |
| High-danger shots | 12 | 12 |
| Corsi % | 50.4% | 49.6% |
| Power play | 0/1 | 0/1 |
| Faceoff % | 42.6% | 57.4% |
| Hits | 28 | 15 |
| Blocks | 10 | 10 |
| Giveaways | 13 | 14 |
| Takeaways | 5 | 9 |
Vegas Golden Knights Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shea Theodore | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 24:29 | 0.15 | 1.50 |
| Brayden McNabb | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20:36 | 0.08 | 1.32 |
| Pavel Dorofeyev | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 20:48 | 0.41 | 1.02 |
| Ivan Barbashev | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 17:41 | 0.62 | 0.92 |
| Reilly Smith | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19:04 | 0.23 | 0.90 |
| Jack Eichel | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 21:19 | 0.10 | 0.90 |
| Cole Reinhardt | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:01 | 0.19 | 0.48 |
| Braeden Bowman | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:15 | 1.17 | 0.34 |
| Colton Sissons | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13:01 | 0.07 | 0.33 |
| Kaedan Korczak | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:26 | 0.02 | 0.30 |
| Mitch Marner | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22:11 | 0.00 | 0.22 |
| Keegan Kolesar | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:40 | 0.70 | 0.12 |
| Raphael Lavoie | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:34 | 0.07 | -0.03 |
| Jeremy Lauzon | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:59 | 0.16 | -0.04 |
| Noah Hanifin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 19:10 | 0.03 | -0.28 |
| Tomas Hertl | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11:47 | 0.38 | -0.33 |
| Brandon Saad | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8:14 | 0.04 | -0.53 |
| Rasmus Andersson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:16 | 0.05 | -0.77 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 25:50 | 0.01 | 1.57 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 13:36 | 0.34 | 1.08 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 15:51 | 0.30 | 1.02 |
| Noah Ostlund | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14:19 | 0.18 | 0.92 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 21:07 | 0.12 | 0.57 |
| Owen Power | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 22:54 | 0.04 | 0.51 |
| Michael Kesselring | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11:19 | 0.25 | 0.38 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 19:36 | 0.11 | 0.34 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:32 | 0.20 | 0.29 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 25:15 | 0.57 | 0.22 |
| Josh Norris | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:35 | 0.14 | 0.18 |
| Zach Metsa | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:58 | 0.02 | 0.13 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8:57 | 0.17 | 0.08 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 15:05 | 0.66 | 0.07 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20:04 | 0.22 | -0.02 |
| Tyson Kozak | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:34 | 0.00 | -0.26 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:46 | 0.00 | -0.38 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22:42 | 0.00 | -1.15 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akira Schmid | Vegas Golden Knights | 25 | 28 | 89.3% | -0.09 | L |
| Alex Lyon | Buffalo Sabres | 27 | 29 | 93.1% | 2.20 | W |
Analysis
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 3–2 on Mar 03, 2026, a one-goal game.
Buffalo Sabres generated 3.28 expected goals to Vegas Golden Knights's 4.42 — Vegas Golden Knights owned the better of the chances but Buffalo Sabres took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it.
Rasmus Dahlin led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.57 on 2 assists, 1 shots on goal.
Alex Lyon stopped 27 of 29, worth 2.2 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Vegas Golden Knights vs Buffalo Sabres game?
The Buffalo Sabres beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3–2 on Mar 03, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Buffalo Sabres 3, Vegas Golden Knights 2.
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 1.57, on 0G, 2A and 1 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Buffalo Sabres generated 3.28 expected goals and Vegas Golden Knights generated 4.42, so Vegas Golden Knights created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Vegas Golden Knights put 29 shots on goal and Buffalo Sabres put 28. High-danger chances went 12 to 12.
How did the goaltenders play?
Akira Schmid stopped 25 of 28 (-0.09 goals saved above expected); Alex Lyon stopped 27 of 29 (2.2 goals saved above expected).