Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres
NHL game between the Boston Bruins and the Buffalo Sabres on Apr 19, 2026. Final score: Boston Bruins 3, Buffalo Sabres 4.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Apr 19, 2026 |
| Venue | KeyBank Center |
| Series | R1 Game 1: BUF 1-0 BOS |
| Boston Bruins 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 | David Pastrnak | R | 1 | 2 | 4 | 21:15 | 0.48 | 2.08 |
| 2nd | Tage Thompson | C | 2 | 1 | 7 | 20:00 | 0.53 | 2.04 |
| 3rd | Morgan Geekie | C | 1 | 2 | 2 | 19:16 | 0.89 | 2.03 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Boston Bruins–Buffalo Sabres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 10:52 | BOS | Morgan Geekie | David Pastrnak, Nikita Zadorov | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 3rd 01:08 | BOS | Elias Lindholm | Morgan Geekie, David Pastrnak | 5v5 | 2–0 |
| 3rd 12:02 | BUF | Tage Thompson | Peyton Krebs | 5v5 | 2–1 |
| 3rd 15:44 | BUF | Tage Thompson | Alex Tuch | 5v5 | 2–2 |
| 3rd 16:36 | BUF | Mattias Samuelsson | Jack Quinn | 5v5 | 2–3 |
| 3rd 18:48 | BUF | Alex Tuch | Tage Thompson, Owen Power | 5v6 | 2–4 |
| 3rd 19:52 | BOS | David Pastrnak | Morgan Geekie | 4v6 | 3–4 |
Team Comparison
| Boston Bruins | Buffalo Sabres | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 3 | 4 |
| Shots on goal | 20 | 38 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 3.08 | 2.34 |
| High-danger shots | 10 | 12 |
| Corsi % | 39.7% | 60.3% |
| Power play | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| Faceoff % | 50.8% | 49.2% |
| Hits | 38 | 53 |
| Blocks | 14 | 11 |
| Giveaways | 13 | 13 |
| Takeaways | 5 | 5 |
Boston Bruins Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Pastrnak | R | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 21:15 | 0.48 | 2.08 |
| Morgan Geekie | C | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 19:16 | 0.89 | 2.03 |
| Elias Lindholm | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 19:18 | 0.89 | 0.95 |
| Nikita Zadorov | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 20:42 | 0.02 | 0.84 |
| Mark Kastelic | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:51 | 0.00 | 0.20 |
| Tanner Jeannot | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:21 | 0.00 | 0.15 |
| Marat Khusnutdinov | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:13 | 0.12 | 0.15 |
| Jonathan Aspirot | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:09 | 0.01 | 0.10 |
| Fraser Minten | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:07 | 0.06 | 0.10 |
| Charlie McAvoy | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 24:18 | 0.05 | 0.10 |
| Mason Lohrei | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:08 | 0.00 | 0.10 |
| Andrew Peeke | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19:03 | 0.01 | 0.05 |
| Viktor Arvidsson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12:45 | 0.23 | 0.05 |
| J. Hagens | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:02 | 0.06 | 0.05 |
| Hampus Lindholm | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:06 | 0.01 | 0.00 |
| Casey Mittelstadt | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:19 | 0.01 | 0.00 |
| Pavel Zacha | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17:02 | 0.20 | -0.05 |
| Sean Kuraly | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:16 | 0.05 | -0.15 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tage Thompson | C | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 20:00 | 0.53 | 2.04 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 21:39 | 0.65 | 1.94 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 22:20 | 0.11 | 1.30 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 14:37 | 0.14 | 0.79 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16:10 | 0.00 | 0.69 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 17:55 | 0.02 | 0.64 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:14 | 0.47 | 0.30 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:40 | 0.01 | 0.20 |
| Josh Dunne | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8:20 | 0.02 | 0.15 |
| Jordan Greenway | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:38 | 0.01 | 0.15 |
| Josh Norris | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:32 | 0.04 | 0.10 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 22:50 | 0.02 | 0.10 |
| Logan Stanley | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:51 | 0.03 | 0.10 |
| Conor Timmins | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 13:48 | 0.03 | 0.05 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15:28 | 0.02 | 0.00 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 24:05 | 0.02 | -0.05 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15:10 | 0.19 | -0.10 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17:38 | 0.01 | -0.15 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremy Swayman | Boston Bruins | 34 | 37 | 91.9% | -1.08 | L |
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | Buffalo Sabres | 17 | 20 | 85.0% | -1.91 | W |
Analysis
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Boston Bruins 4–3 on Apr 19, 2026, a one-goal game.
Buffalo Sabres generated 2.34 expected goals to Boston Bruins's 3.08 — Boston Bruins owned the better of the chances but Buffalo Sabres took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it.
David Pastrnak led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.08 on 1 goal, 2 assists, 4 shots on goal.
Jeremy Swayman stopped 34 of 37, worth -1.08 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Boston Bruins vs Buffalo Sabres game?
The Buffalo Sabres beat the Boston Bruins 4–3 on Apr 19, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Buffalo Sabres 4, Boston Bruins 3.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — David Pastrnak led all skaters at 2.08, on 1G, 2A and 4 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Buffalo Sabres generated 2.34 expected goals and Boston Bruins generated 3.08, so Boston Bruins created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Boston Bruins put 20 shots on goal and Buffalo Sabres put 38. High-danger chances went 10 to 12.