Buffalo Sabres at Los Angeles Kings
NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Los Angeles Kings on Mar 21, 2026. Final score: Buffalo Sabres 4, Los Angeles Kings 1.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Mar 21, 2026 |
| Venue | Crypto.com Arena |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 4 |
| Los Angeles Kings 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 | Zach Benson | L | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15:16 | 0.45 | 2.28 |
| 2nd | Sam Carrick | C | 1 | 0 | 3 | 15:38 | 0.30 | 1.62 |
| 3rd | Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 1 | 3 | 14:47 | 0.09 | 1.55 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Buffalo Sabres–Los Angeles Kings) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 10:48 | LAK | Artemi Panarin | Anze Kopitar, Adrian Kempe | 5v4 | 0–1 |
| 2nd 04:05 | BUF | Tage Thompson | Peyton Krebs, Mattias Samuelsson | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 3rd 11:12 | BUF | Sam Carrick | Zach Benson, Zach Metsa | 5v5 | 2–1 |
| 3rd 12:11 | BUF | Rasmus Dahlin | — | 4v5 | 3–1 |
| 3rd 17:35 | BUF | Zach Benson | Josh Norris, Beck Malenstyn | 6v5 | 4–1 |
Team Comparison
| Buffalo Sabres | Los Angeles Kings | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 4 | 1 |
| Shots on goal | 32 | 27 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.49 | 2.54 |
| High-danger shots | 9 | 13 |
| Corsi % | 51.4% | 48.6% |
| Power play | 1/1 | 1/3 |
| Faceoff % | 34.5% | 65.5% |
| Hits | 15 | 27 |
| Blocks | 16 | 15 |
| Giveaways | 10 | 11 |
| Takeaways | 7 | 4 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zach Benson | L | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 15:16 | 0.45 | 2.28 |
| Sam Carrick | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 15:38 | 0.30 | 1.62 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 14:47 | 0.09 | 1.55 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 22:20 | 0.07 | 1.13 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 22:02 | 0.10 | 1.09 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 23:07 | 1.13 | 1.04 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 15:03 | 0.08 | 0.90 |
| Josh Norris | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 14:40 | 0.16 | 0.82 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 18:11 | 0.23 | 0.70 |
| Zach Metsa | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13:59 | 0.03 | 0.51 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 21:40 | 0.00 | 0.27 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12:44 | 0.16 | 0.20 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 20:06 | 0.08 | 0.08 |
| Noah Ostlund | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13:01 | 0.16 | -0.02 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:30 | 0.00 | -0.07 |
| Logan Stanley | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 16:26 | 0.03 | -0.08 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11:43 | 0.07 | -0.14 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:52 | 0.00 | -0.21 |
Los Angeles Kings Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joel Armia | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:44 | 0.27 | 0.72 |
| Scott Laughton | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:00 | 0.01 | 0.70 |
| Alex Laferriere | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18:32 | 0.31 | 0.58 |
| Jared Wright | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 12:22 | 0.46 | 0.58 |
| Trevor Moore | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 14:47 | 0.32 | 0.28 |
| Quinton Byfield | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 18:45 | 0.36 | 0.28 |
| Drew Doughty | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21:05 | 0.06 | 0.02 |
| Anze Kopitar | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 19:52 | 0.17 | -0.03 |
| Artemi Panarin | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 22:06 | 0.10 | -0.07 |
| Cody Ceci | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:11 | 0.01 | -0.11 |
| Brian Dumoulin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:11 | 0.00 | -0.17 |
| Samuel Helenius | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:06 | 0.00 | -0.19 |
| Mikey Anderson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20:48 | 0.00 | -0.20 |
| Taylor Ward | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:45 | 0.04 | -0.24 |
| Adrian Kempe | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 21:06 | 0.04 | -0.27 |
| Jeff Malott | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:00 | 0.00 | -0.34 |
| Brandt Clarke | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 20:38 | 0.06 | -0.43 |
| Joel Edmundson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:28 | 0.07 | -0.57 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | Buffalo Sabres | 26 | 27 | 96.3% | 1.28 | W |
| Anton Forsberg | Los Angeles Kings | 30 | 32 | 93.5% | -0.31 | L |
Analysis
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Los Angeles Kings 4–1 on Mar 21, 2026.
Los Angeles Kings generated 2.54 expected goals to Buffalo Sabres's 2.49 — Los Angeles Kings 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.
Zach Benson led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.28 on 1 goal, 1 assist, 1 shots on goal.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 26 of 27, worth 1.28 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Buffalo Sabres vs Los Angeles Kings game?
The Buffalo Sabres beat the Los Angeles Kings 4–1 on Mar 21, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Buffalo Sabres 4, Los Angeles Kings 1.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Zach Benson led all skaters at 2.28, on 1G, 1A and 1 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Los Angeles Kings generated 2.54 expected goals and Buffalo Sabres generated 2.49, so Los Angeles Kings created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Buffalo Sabres put 32 shots on goal and Los Angeles Kings put 27. High-danger chances went 9 to 13.
How did the goaltenders play?
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 26 of 27 (1.28 goals saved above expected); Anton Forsberg stopped 30 of 32 (-0.31 goals saved above expected).