Buffalo Sabres at Ottawa Senators
NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Ottawa Senators on Apr 02, 2026. Final score: Buffalo Sabres 1, Ottawa Senators 4.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Apr 02, 2026 |
| Venue | Canadian Tire Centre |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 1 |
| Ottawa Senators 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 | Jordan Spence | D | 0 | 1 | 2 | 30:48 | 0.15 | 1.51 |
| 2nd | Ridly Greig | C | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17:08 | 0.72 | 1.40 |
| 3rd | Lassi Thomson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20:55 | 0.03 | 1.27 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Buffalo Sabres–Ottawa Senators) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd 08:49 | BUF | Mattias Samuelsson | Bowen Byram, Peyton Krebs | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 2nd 15:18 | OTT | Dylan Cozens | Brady Tkachuk, Ridly Greig | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 3rd 05:55 | OTT | Lars Eller | Artem Zub, Warren Foegele | 5v5 | 1–2 |
| 3rd 17:42 | OTT | Ridly Greig | Jordan Spence | 5v6 | 1–3 |
| 3rd 18:42 | OTT | Shane Pinto | — | 5v6 | 1–4 |
Team Comparison
| Buffalo Sabres | Ottawa Senators | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 1 | 4 |
| Shots on goal | 22 | 24 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.08 | 3.13 |
| High-danger shots | 6 | 15 |
| Corsi % | 47.1% | 52.9% |
| Power play | 0/2 | 0/3 |
| Faceoff % | 50.9% | 49.1% |
| Hits | 24 | 32 |
| Blocks | 16 | 10 |
| Giveaways | 12 | 10 |
| Takeaways | 4 | 3 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 20:49 | 0.07 | 0.87 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 22:58 | 0.18 | 0.72 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 12:16 | 0.14 | 0.63 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:13 | 0.22 | 0.16 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:48 | 0.10 | 0.15 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:57 | 0.17 | 0.15 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19:34 | 0.04 | 0.12 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17:12 | 0.12 | -0.04 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:35 | 0.36 | -0.05 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:33 | 0.00 | -0.07 |
| Jordan Greenway | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:39 | 0.00 | -0.09 |
| Josh Dunne | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7:17 | 0.00 | -0.10 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20:41 | 0.02 | -0.14 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 22:37 | 0.09 | -0.29 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18:25 | 0.17 | -0.31 |
| Josh Norris | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:10 | 0.10 | -0.46 |
| Logan Stanley | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13:30 | 0.05 | -0.50 |
| Zach Metsa | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:04 | 0.01 | -0.70 |
Ottawa Senators Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Spence | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 30:48 | 0.15 | 1.51 |
| Ridly Greig | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 17:08 | 0.72 | 1.40 |
| Lassi Thomson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20:55 | 0.03 | 1.27 |
| Dylan Cozens | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 16:09 | 0.60 | 1.25 |
| Brady Tkachuk | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 15:55 | 0.00 | 1.18 |
| Lars Eller | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 8:18 | 0.24 | 1.07 |
| Warren Foegele | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9:42 | 0.07 | 0.88 |
| Shane Pinto | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 20:10 | 0.68 | 0.83 |
| Artem Zub | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 24:24 | 0.00 | 0.68 |
| Nick Cousins | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:25 | 0.35 | 0.55 |
| Tim Stützle | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19:57 | 0.12 | 0.49 |
| Claude Giroux | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13:52 | 0.44 | 0.42 |
| Fabian Zetterlund | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:12 | 0.15 | 0.18 |
| Michael Amadio | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:53 | 0.00 | 0.18 |
| Drake Batherson | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:18 | 0.01 | 0.08 |
| Nikolas Matinpalo | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 24:29 | 0.02 | 0.05 |
| Cameron Crotty | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:37 | 0.03 | -0.01 |
| Tyler Kleven | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1:48 | 0.00 | -0.17 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | Buffalo Sabres | 20 | 22 | 90.9% | 0.37 | L |
| Linus Ullmark | Ottawa Senators | 21 | 22 | 95.5% | 0.83 | W |
Analysis
The Ottawa Senators defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4–1 on Apr 02, 2026.
Ottawa Senators generated 3.13 expected goals to Buffalo Sabres's 2.08 — the run of play matched the result, with Ottawa Senators earning the better chances as well as the goals.
Jordan Spence led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.51 on 1 assist, 2 shots on goal.
Linus Ullmark stopped 21 of 22, worth 0.83 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Buffalo Sabres vs Ottawa Senators game?
The Ottawa Senators beat the Buffalo Sabres 4–1 on Apr 02, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Ottawa Senators 4, Buffalo Sabres 1.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Jordan Spence led all skaters at 1.51, on 0G, 1A and 2 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Ottawa Senators generated 3.13 expected goals and Buffalo Sabres generated 2.08, so Ottawa Senators created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Buffalo Sabres put 22 shots on goal and Ottawa Senators put 24. High-danger chances went 6 to 15.
How did the goaltenders play?
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 20 of 22 (0.37 goals saved above expected); Linus Ullmark stopped 21 of 22 (0.83 goals saved above expected).