New York Islanders at Buffalo Sabres
NHL game between the New York Islanders and the Buffalo Sabres on Mar 31, 2026. Final score: New York Islanders 3, Buffalo Sabres 4.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Mar 31, 2026 |
| Venue | KeyBank Center |
| New York Islanders score | 3 |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 4 |
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 | Tage Thompson | C | 1 | 1 | 3 | 21:31 | 1.42 | 2.11 |
| 2nd | Bowen Byram | D | 1 | 0 | 2 | 22:14 | 0.33 | 1.78 |
| 3rd | Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 22:44 | 0.15 | 1.69 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (New York Islanders–Buffalo Sabres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 14:19 | BUF | Jack Quinn | Josh Norris | 5v4 | 0–1 |
| 2nd 17:57 | NYI | Calum Ritchie | Brayden Schenn, Bo Horvat | 4v5 | 1–1 |
| 3rd 02:40 | BUF | Tage Thompson | Josh Norris, Jack Quinn | 5v4 | 1–2 |
| 3rd 13:39 | NYI | Anders Lee | Bo Horvat, Matthew Schaefer | 5v5 | 2–2 |
| 3rd 16:59 | BUF | Peyton Krebs | Alex Tuch, Tage Thompson | 5v5 | 2–3 |
| 3rd 18:17 | BUF | Bowen Byram | Mattias Samuelsson | 5v6 | 2–4 |
| 3rd 19:59 | NYI | Brayden Schenn | Mathew Barzal, Bo Horvat | 5v6 | 3–4 |
Team Comparison
| New York Islanders | Buffalo Sabres | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 3 | 4 |
| Shots on goal | 28 | 33 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.27 | 3.89 |
| High-danger shots | 8 | 13 |
| Corsi % | 44.4% | 55.6% |
| Power play | 1/3 | 2/4 |
| Faceoff % | 54.2% | 45.8% |
| Hits | 26 | 25 |
| Blocks | 10 | 15 |
| Giveaways | 12 | 19 |
| Takeaways | 6 | 1 |
New York Islanders Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bo Horvat | C | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 21:22 | 0.30 | 1.65 |
| Anders Lee | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 14:10 | 0.16 | 1.25 |
| Calum Ritchie | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 16:33 | 0.13 | 0.79 |
| Brayden Schenn | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 18:54 | 0.12 | 0.45 |
| Ryan Pulock | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19:17 | 0.02 | 0.31 |
| Marc Gatcomb | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11:07 | 0.09 | 0.21 |
| Kyle MacLean | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:18 | 0.06 | 0.13 |
| Emil Heineman | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:21 | 0.02 | 0.13 |
| Jean-Gabriel Pageau | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:19 | 0.07 | 0.09 |
| Adam Pelech | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21:17 | 0.24 | -0.12 |
| Ondrej Palat | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11:42 | 0.20 | -0.18 |
| Casey Cizikas | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:17 | 0.03 | -0.35 |
| Matthew Schaefer | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 29:40 | 0.20 | -0.37 |
| Mathew Barzal | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 20:24 | 0.07 | -0.52 |
| Adam Boqvist | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13:02 | 0.14 | -0.61 |
| Scott Mayfield | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:01 | 0.00 | -0.61 |
| Anthony Duclair | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:29 | 0.00 | -1.01 |
| Carson Soucy | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19:22 | 0.00 | -2.04 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tage Thompson | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 21:31 | 1.42 | 2.11 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 22:14 | 0.33 | 1.78 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 22:44 | 0.15 | 1.69 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 20:25 | 0.14 | 1.54 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 17:37 | 0.16 | 1.30 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 16:11 | 0.41 | 1.29 |
| Josh Norris | C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 15:04 | 0.06 | 1.24 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 23:14 | 0.62 | 1.16 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:17 | 0.20 | 0.80 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 13:02 | 0.42 | 0.73 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18:38 | 0.18 | 0.60 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11:20 | 0.19 | 0.49 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:16 | 0.10 | 0.49 |
| Jordan Greenway | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:13 | 0.00 | 0.43 |
| Zach Metsa | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:04 | 0.02 | 0.42 |
| Logan Stanley | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:54 | 0.06 | 0.31 |
| Sam Carrick | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6:47 | 0.12 | 0.28 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:32 | 0.16 | 0.02 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ilya Sorokin | New York Islanders | 29 | 32 | 90.6% | 1.14 | L |
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | Buffalo Sabres | 25 | 28 | 89.3% | -1.14 | W |
Analysis
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the New York Islanders 4–3 on Mar 31, 2026, a one-goal game.
Buffalo Sabres generated 3.89 expected goals to New York Islanders's 2.27 — Buffalo Sabres edged the chance share as well as the scoreline.
Tage Thompson led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.11 on 1 goal, 1 assist, 3 shots on goal.
Ilya Sorokin stopped 29 of 32, worth 1.14 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the New York Islanders vs Buffalo Sabres game?
The Buffalo Sabres beat the New York Islanders 4–3 on Mar 31, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Buffalo Sabres 4, New York Islanders 3.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Tage Thompson led all skaters at 2.11, on 1G, 1A and 3 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Buffalo Sabres generated 3.89 expected goals and New York Islanders generated 2.27, so Buffalo Sabres created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
New York Islanders put 28 shots on goal and Buffalo Sabres put 33. High-danger chances went 8 to 13.
How did the goaltenders play?
Ilya Sorokin stopped 29 of 32 (1.14 goals saved above expected); Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 25 of 28 (-1.14 goals saved above expected).