Columbus Blue Jackets at Buffalo Sabres
NHL game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Buffalo Sabres on Apr 09, 2026. Final score: Columbus Blue Jackets 0, Buffalo Sabres 5.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Apr 09, 2026 |
| Venue | KeyBank Center |
| Columbus Blue Jackets score | 0 |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 5 |
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 | Josh Doan | R | 2 | 0 | 4 | 14:42 | 0.61 | 2.17 |
| 2nd | Josh Norris | C | 0 | 2 | 1 | 14:36 | 0.08 | 2.16 |
| 3rd | Logan Stanley | D | 0 | 2 | 1 | 16:19 | 0.04 | 1.50 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Columbus Blue Jackets–Buffalo Sabres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 13:41 | BUF | Peyton Krebs | Josh Norris | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 3rd 07:19 | BUF | Josh Doan | — | 5v5 | 0–2 |
| 3rd 13:21 | BUF | Jack Quinn | Logan Stanley, Jason Zucker | 5v5 | 0–3 |
| 3rd 13:46 | BUF | Josh Doan | Zach Benson, Josh Norris | 5v5 | 0–4 |
| 3rd 16:55 | BUF | Rasmus Dahlin | Logan Stanley, Tyson Kozak | 5v6 | 0–5 |
Team Comparison
| Columbus Blue Jackets | Buffalo Sabres | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 0 | 5 |
| Shots on goal | 37 | 24 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 3.50 | 1.86 |
| High-danger shots | 15 | 11 |
| Corsi % | 63.5% | 36.5% |
| Power play | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| Faceoff % | 57.9% | 42.1% |
| Hits | 18 | 15 |
| Blocks | 9 | 20 |
| Giveaways | 16 | 10 |
| Takeaways | 4 | 4 |
Columbus Blue Jackets Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isac Lundeström | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:29 | 0.33 | 0.22 |
| Dante Fabbro | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:30 | 0.00 | 0.21 |
| Kirill Marchenko | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21:58 | 0.09 | 0.21 |
| Danton Heinen | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:39 | 0.12 | 0.11 |
| Egor Zamula | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:37 | 0.00 | 0.08 |
| Boone Jenner | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12:50 | 0.24 | 0.07 |
| Adam Fantilli | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 21:25 | 0.33 | 0.04 |
| Kent Johnson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9:18 | 0.31 | -0.05 |
| Mason Marchment | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17:56 | 0.32 | -0.06 |
| Conor Garland | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 12:39 | 0.49 | -0.23 |
| Charlie Coyle | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23:04 | 0.11 | -0.24 |
| Miles Wood | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:22 | 0.14 | -0.25 |
| Cole Sillinger | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:37 | 0.02 | -0.28 |
| Ivan Provorov | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 24:41 | 0.14 | -0.32 |
| Erik Gudbranson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:46 | 0.04 | -0.34 |
| Denton Mateychuk | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 18:06 | 0.04 | -0.43 |
| Sean Monahan | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:25 | 0.13 | -0.48 |
| Zach Werenski | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 28:46 | 0.20 | -0.83 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Doan | R | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 14:42 | 0.61 | 2.17 |
| Josh Norris | C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 14:36 | 0.08 | 2.16 |
| Logan Stanley | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 16:19 | 0.04 | 1.50 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20:11 | 0.06 | 1.19 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15:39 | 0.14 | 1.17 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 14:48 | 0.16 | 1.12 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14:35 | 0.05 | 1.10 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19:32 | 0.04 | 0.86 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 19:47 | 0.12 | 0.78 |
| Tyson Kozak | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9:38 | 0.09 | 0.65 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 14:18 | 0.00 | 0.43 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:30 | 0.00 | 0.22 |
| Zach Metsa | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19:26 | 0.00 | 0.15 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21:03 | 0.03 | 0.11 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21:16 | 0.20 | 0.07 |
| Jordan Greenway | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:00 | 0.05 | -0.06 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:47 | 0.21 | -0.07 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:53 | 0.00 | -0.27 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jet Greaves | Columbus Blue Jackets | 19 | 23 | 82.6% | -2.28 | L |
| Colten Ellis | Buffalo Sabres | 37 | 37 | 100.0% | 2.94 | W |
Analysis
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 5–0 on Apr 09, 2026, a decisive 5-goal win.
Buffalo Sabres generated 1.86 expected goals to Columbus Blue Jackets's 3.5 — Columbus Blue Jackets owned the better of the chances but Buffalo Sabres took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it.
Josh Doan led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.17 on 2 goals, 4 shots on goal.
Colten Ellis stopped 37 of 37, worth 2.94 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Columbus Blue Jackets vs Buffalo Sabres game?
The Buffalo Sabres beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5–0 on Apr 09, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Buffalo Sabres 5, Columbus Blue Jackets 0.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Josh Doan led all skaters at 2.17, on 2G, 0A and 4 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Buffalo Sabres generated 1.86 expected goals and Columbus Blue Jackets generated 3.5, so Columbus Blue Jackets created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Columbus Blue Jackets put 37 shots on goal and Buffalo Sabres put 24. High-danger chances went 15 to 11.
How did the goaltenders play?
Jet Greaves stopped 19 of 23 (-2.28 goals saved above expected); Colten Ellis stopped 37 of 37 (2.94 goals saved above expected).