Washington Capitals at Buffalo Sabres
NHL game between the Washington Capitals and the Buffalo Sabres on Mar 12, 2026. Final score: Washington Capitals 2, Buffalo Sabres 1.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Mar 12, 2026 |
| Venue | KeyBank Center |
| Washington Capitals score | 2 |
| Buffalo Sabres 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 | Jakob Chychrun | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 20:25 | 0.10 | 1.46 |
| 2nd | Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10:25 | 0.08 | 1.29 |
| 3rd | Sam Carrick | C | 1 | 0 | 2 | 10:51 | 0.15 | 1.20 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Washington Capitals–Buffalo Sabres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 06:02 | BUF | Sam Carrick | Beck Malenstyn, Owen Power | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 2nd 02:14 | WSH | Ryan Leonard | — | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 3rd 18:27 | WSH | Jakob Chychrun | Aliaksei Protas, Trevor van Riemsdyk | 5v5 | 2–1 |
Team Comparison
| Washington Capitals | Buffalo Sabres | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 2 | 1 |
| Shots on goal | 22 | 30 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 3.09 | 2.83 |
| High-danger shots | 10 | 12 |
| Corsi % | 43.2% | 56.8% |
| Power play | 0/2 | 0/2 |
| Faceoff % | 40.0% | 60.0% |
| Hits | 22 | 24 |
| Blocks | 17 | 12 |
| Giveaways | 14 | 12 |
| Takeaways | 9 | 5 |
Washington Capitals Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jakob Chychrun | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 20:25 | 0.10 | 1.46 |
| Ryan Leonard | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 13:46 | 0.08 | 1.11 |
| Trevor van Riemsdyk | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 19:00 | 0.41 | 0.94 |
| Aliaksei Protas | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16:31 | 0.26 | 0.78 |
| Tom Wilson | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 20:34 | 0.65 | 0.46 |
| Pierre-Luc Dubois | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:41 | 0.24 | 0.42 |
| Justin Sourdif | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:50 | 0.02 | 0.36 |
| Connor McMichael | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14:15 | 0.73 | 0.35 |
| Timothy Liljegren | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:50 | 0.06 | 0.32 |
| Brandon Duhaime | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:17 | 0.00 | 0.30 |
| Martin Fehérváry | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:56 | 0.01 | 0.16 |
| Dylan Strome | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:25 | 0.00 | 0.15 |
| Ethen Frank | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:30 | 0.00 | 0.11 |
| Hendrix Lapierre | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:17 | 0.15 | 0.04 |
| Alex Ovechkin | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14:03 | 0.23 | -0.02 |
| Matt Roy | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:46 | 0.01 | -0.04 |
| Anthony Beauvillier | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:07 | 0.16 | -0.08 |
| Rasmus Sandin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:47 | 0.22 | -0.24 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10:25 | 0.08 | 1.29 |
| Sam Carrick | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 10:51 | 0.15 | 1.20 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20:30 | 0.04 | 0.45 |
| Tanner Pearson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8:58 | 0.36 | 0.31 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 23:28 | 0.11 | 0.18 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 21:29 | 0.02 | 0.15 |
| Josh Norris | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:45 | 0.21 | 0.14 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:44 | 0.09 | 0.11 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 22:04 | 0.36 | 0.00 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14:42 | 0.45 | -0.03 |
| Noah Ostlund | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:49 | 0.02 | -0.14 |
| Luke Schenn | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:31 | 0.01 | -0.15 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17:07 | 0.28 | -0.17 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:15 | 0.14 | -0.18 |
| Logan Stanley | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:02 | 0.10 | -0.27 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 23:02 | 0.15 | -0.33 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:26 | 0.22 | -0.33 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:19 | 0.11 | -0.41 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Lindgren | Washington Capitals | 29 | 30 | 96.7% | 1.68 | W |
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | Buffalo Sabres | 20 | 22 | 90.9% | 0.77 | L |
Analysis
The Washington Capitals defeated the Buffalo Sabres 2–1 on Mar 12, 2026, a one-goal game.
Buffalo Sabres generated 2.83 expected goals to Washington Capitals's 3.09 — Washington Capitals edged the chance share as well as the scoreline; by expected goals it was close to a coin flip.
Jakob Chychrun led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.46 on 1 goal, 1 shots on goal.
Charlie Lindgren stopped 29 of 30, worth 1.68 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Washington Capitals vs Buffalo Sabres game?
The Washington Capitals beat the Buffalo Sabres 2–1 on Mar 12, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Washington Capitals 2, Buffalo Sabres 1.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Jakob Chychrun led all skaters at 1.46, on 1G, 0A and 1 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Buffalo Sabres generated 2.83 expected goals and Washington Capitals generated 3.09, so Washington Capitals created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Washington Capitals put 22 shots on goal and Buffalo Sabres put 30. High-danger chances went 10 to 12.
How did the goaltenders play?
Charlie Lindgren stopped 29 of 30 (1.68 goals saved above expected); Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 20 of 22 (0.77 goals saved above expected).