Detroit Red Wings at Buffalo Sabres
NHL game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Buffalo Sabres on Mar 27, 2026. Final score: Detroit Red Wings 5, Buffalo Sabres 2.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Mar 27, 2026 |
| Venue | KeyBank Center |
| Detroit Red Wings score | 5 |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 2 |
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 | Alex DeBrincat | R | 1 | 2 | 4 | 18:56 | 0.84 | 2.12 |
| 2nd | Rasmus Dahlin | D | 1 | 0 | 2 | 23:30 | 0.33 | 1.79 |
| 3rd | Patrick Kane | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 18:01 | 0.28 | 1.64 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Detroit Red Wings–Buffalo Sabres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 04:02 | DET | Alex DeBrincat | Moritz Seider, Dylan Larkin | 4v5 | 1–0 |
| 1st 09:11 | DET | Lucas Raymond | Moritz Seider | 4v5 | 2–0 |
| 1st 16:06 | DET | Marco Kasper | Emmitt Finnie, James van Riemsdyk | 5v5 | 3–0 |
| 2nd 05:35 | BUF | Tage Thompson | Peyton Krebs, Conor Timmins | 5v5 | 3–1 |
| 3rd 15:46 | DET | Jacob Bernard-Docker | Patrick Kane, Alex DeBrincat | 5v5 | 4–1 |
| 3rd 16:25 | BUF | Rasmus Dahlin | Tanner Pearson, Bowen Byram | 5v5 | 4–2 |
| 3rd 18:17 | DET | Patrick Kane | Alex DeBrincat | 6v5 | 5–2 |
Team Comparison
| Detroit Red Wings | Buffalo Sabres | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 5 | 2 |
| Shots on goal | 20 | 30 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.97 | 3.65 |
| High-danger shots | 11 | 19 |
| Corsi % | 35.2% | 64.8% |
| Power play | 2/5 | 0/3 |
| Faceoff % | 55.8% | 44.2% |
| Hits | 11 | 27 |
| Blocks | 14 | 6 |
| Giveaways | 18 | 16 |
| Takeaways | 6 | 6 |
Detroit Red Wings Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex DeBrincat | R | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 18:56 | 0.84 | 2.12 |
| Patrick Kane | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 18:01 | 0.28 | 1.64 |
| Moritz Seider | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 29:48 | 0.01 | 1.53 |
| James van Riemsdyk | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9:17 | 0.03 | 1.37 |
| Emmitt Finnie | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 13:02 | 0.40 | 1.36 |
| Marco Kasper | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14:05 | 0.34 | 1.31 |
| Ben Chiarot | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:55 | 0.00 | 1.17 |
| Lucas Raymond | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 20:14 | 0.99 | 0.56 |
| Andrew Copp | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:47 | 0.19 | 0.37 |
| Justin Faulk | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20:11 | 0.00 | 0.34 |
| Jacob Bernard-Docker | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9:46 | 0.07 | 0.24 |
| Dylan Larkin | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 23:14 | 0.11 | 0.21 |
| Dominik Shine | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4:41 | 0.00 | -0.10 |
| David Perron | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:13 | 0.08 | -0.25 |
| Simon Edvinsson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 24:06 | 0.01 | -0.32 |
| J.T. Compher | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:18 | 0.01 | -0.43 |
| Mason Appleton | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:15 | 0.00 | -0.73 |
| Albert Johansson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:11 | 0.02 | -0.86 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 23:30 | 0.33 | 1.79 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 21:16 | 0.74 | 1.07 |
| Conor Timmins | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14:30 | 0.01 | 0.98 |
| Tanner Pearson | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5:43 | 0.06 | 0.96 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13:12 | 0.01 | 0.90 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 18:51 | 0.43 | 0.61 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 21:17 | 0.12 | 0.54 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17:04 | 0.59 | 0.52 |
| Logan Stanley | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:05 | 0.00 | 0.32 |
| Josh Norris | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:38 | 0.33 | 0.19 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:28 | 0.03 | 0.18 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 17:24 | 0.47 | 0.16 |
| Sam Carrick | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6:46 | 0.02 | 0.08 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:26 | 0.00 | -0.29 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21:51 | 0.17 | -0.30 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:55 | 0.11 | -0.46 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:18 | 0.24 | -0.55 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20:58 | 0.03 | -0.90 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Gibson | Detroit Red Wings | 28 | 30 | 93.3% | 1.70 | W |
| Alex Lyon | Buffalo Sabres | 15 | 19 | 78.9% | -0.88 | L |
Analysis
The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Buffalo Sabres 5–2 on Mar 27, 2026.
Buffalo Sabres generated 3.65 expected goals to Detroit Red Wings's 2.97 — Buffalo Sabres owned the better of the chances but Detroit Red Wings took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it.
Alex DeBrincat led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.12 on 1 goal, 2 assists, 4 shots on goal.
John Gibson stopped 28 of 30, worth 1.7 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Detroit Red Wings vs Buffalo Sabres game?
The Detroit Red Wings beat the Buffalo Sabres 5–2 on Mar 27, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Detroit Red Wings 5, Buffalo Sabres 2.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Alex DeBrincat led all skaters at 2.12, on 1G, 2A and 4 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Buffalo Sabres generated 3.65 expected goals and Detroit Red Wings generated 2.97, so Buffalo Sabres created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Detroit Red Wings put 20 shots on goal and Buffalo Sabres put 30. High-danger chances went 11 to 19.
How did the goaltenders play?
John Gibson stopped 28 of 30 (1.7 goals saved above expected); Alex Lyon stopped 15 of 19 (-0.88 goals saved above expected).