Buffalo Sabres at Pittsburgh Penguins
NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Mar 05, 2026. Final score: Buffalo Sabres 5, Pittsburgh Penguins 1.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Mar 05, 2026 |
| Venue | PPG Paints Arena |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 5 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins 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 | Owen Power | D | 1 | 1 | 1 | 20:45 | 0.07 | 1.49 |
| 2nd | Josh Norris | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 17:41 | 0.35 | 1.39 |
| 3rd | Mattias Samuelsson | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 21:19 | 0.84 | 0.85 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Buffalo Sabres–Pittsburgh Penguins) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 12:00 | BUF | Ryan McLeod | — | 5v4 | 1–0 |
| 1st 14:48 | PIT | Bryan Rust | Ben Kindel | 4v5 | 1–1 |
| 2nd 04:10 | BUF | Josh Norris | Josh Doan, Bowen Byram | 4v5 | 2–1 |
| 2nd 06:18 | BUF | Alex Tuch | Owen Power, Tage Thompson | 5v5 | 3–1 |
| 2nd 10:30 | BUF | Owen Power | Josh Norris, Noah Ostlund | 5v5 | 4–1 |
| 3rd 16:53 | BUF | Mattias Samuelsson | — | 6v5 | 5–1 |
Team Comparison
| Buffalo Sabres | Pittsburgh Penguins | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 5 | 1 |
| Shots on goal | 26 | 28 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 3.86 | 2.78 |
| High-danger shots | 10 | 18 |
| Corsi % | 52.1% | 47.9% |
| Power play | 1/5 | 0/5 |
| Faceoff % | 59.6% | 40.4% |
| Hits | 20 | 18 |
| Blocks | 11 | 11 |
| Giveaways | 13 | 17 |
| Takeaways | 3 | 2 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owen Power | D | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 20:45 | 0.07 | 1.49 |
| Josh Norris | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 17:41 | 0.35 | 1.39 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 21:19 | 0.84 | 0.85 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 18:43 | 0.14 | 0.84 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 17:37 | 0.30 | 0.80 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 18:28 | 0.62 | 0.64 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 18:23 | 0.40 | 0.60 |
| Noah Ostlund | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16:42 | 0.02 | 0.59 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 22:32 | 0.03 | 0.59 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:22 | 0.09 | 0.15 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:25 | 0.00 | 0.15 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:35 | 0.01 | 0.10 |
| Josh Dunne | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8:37 | 0.19 | 0.10 |
| Michael Kesselring | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12:58 | 0.04 | 0.05 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:11 | 0.29 | -0.05 |
| Zach Metsa | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:00 | 0.00 | -0.05 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11:49 | 0.19 | -0.10 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 21:29 | 0.21 | -0.25 |
Pittsburgh Penguins Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryan Rust | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 19:53 | 0.69 | 0.65 |
| Ben Kindel | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 14:52 | 0.00 | 0.54 |
| Connor Clifton | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:55 | 0.21 | 0.20 |
| Connor Dewar | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14:43 | 0.02 | 0.15 |
| Ryan Shea | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:30 | 0.07 | 0.15 |
| Samuel Girard | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:02 | 0.00 | 0.15 |
| Kris Letang | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:09 | 0.01 | 0.10 |
| Rickard Rakell | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18:34 | 0.66 | 0.10 |
| Blake Lizotte | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:44 | 0.28 | 0.10 |
| Justin Brazeau | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14:13 | 0.12 | 0.05 |
| Noel Acciari | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:27 | 0.15 | 0.00 |
| Avery Hayes | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12:43 | 0.02 | 0.00 |
| Yegor Chinakhov | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:27 | 0.32 | 0.00 |
| Tommy Novak | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:03 | 0.04 | -0.10 |
| Anthony Mantha | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:58 | 0.14 | -0.10 |
| Parker Wotherspoon | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:54 | 0.00 | -0.10 |
| Erik Karlsson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 23:05 | 0.08 | -0.20 |
| Evgeni Malkin | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5:54 | 0.26 | -1.32 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | Buffalo Sabres | 27 | 28 | 96.4% | 1.71 | W |
| Arturs Silovs | Pittsburgh Penguins | 21 | 25 | 84.0% | -0.77 | L |
Analysis
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 5–1 on Mar 05, 2026, a decisive 4-goal win.
Pittsburgh Penguins generated 2.78 expected goals to Buffalo Sabres's 3.86 — the run of play matched the result, with Buffalo Sabres earning the better chances as well as the goals.
Owen Power led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.49 on 1 goal, 1 assist, 1 shots on goal.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 27 of 28, worth 1.71 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Buffalo Sabres vs Pittsburgh Penguins game?
The Buffalo Sabres beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5–1 on Mar 05, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Buffalo Sabres 5, Pittsburgh Penguins 1.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Owen Power led all skaters at 1.49, on 1G, 1A and 1 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Pittsburgh Penguins generated 2.78 expected goals and Buffalo Sabres generated 3.86, so Buffalo Sabres created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Buffalo Sabres put 26 shots on goal and Pittsburgh Penguins put 28. High-danger chances went 10 to 18.
How did the goaltenders play?
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 27 of 28 (1.71 goals saved above expected); Arturs Silovs stopped 21 of 25 (-0.77 goals saved above expected).