Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres
NHL game between the Boston Bruins and the Buffalo Sabres on Apr 21, 2026. Final score: Boston Bruins 4, Buffalo Sabres 2.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Apr 21, 2026 |
| Venue | KeyBank Center |
| Series | R1 Game 2: BUF 1-1 BOS |
| Boston Bruins score | 4 |
| 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 | Viktor Arvidsson | L | 2 | 0 | 5 | 13:52 | 0.49 | 1.84 |
| 2nd | Andrew Peeke | D | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:41 | 0.02 | 1.61 |
| 3rd | David Pastrnak | R | 0 | 2 | 0 | 20:04 | 0.28 | 1.56 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Boston Bruins–Buffalo Sabres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd 04:54 | BOS | Viktor Arvidsson | Jonathan Aspirot, Casey Mittelstadt | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 2nd 16:29 | BOS | Morgan Geekie | David Pastrnak, Sean Kuraly | 5v5 | 2–0 |
| 2nd 18:10 | BOS | Pavel Zacha | David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy | 4v5 | 3–0 |
| 3rd 00:16 | BOS | Viktor Arvidsson | Casey Mittelstadt, Jonathan Aspirot | 5v5 | 4–0 |
| 3rd 13:54 | BUF | Bowen Byram | Beck Malenstyn, Owen Power | 5v5 | 4–1 |
| 3rd 15:08 | BUF | Peyton Krebs | Rasmus Dahlin, Alex Tuch | 6v5 | 4–2 |
Team Comparison
| Boston Bruins | Buffalo Sabres | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 4 | 2 |
| Shots on goal | 26 | 36 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 4.13 | 4.37 |
| High-danger shots | 12 | 19 |
| Corsi % | 40.4% | 59.6% |
| Power play | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| Faceoff % | 54.5% | 45.5% |
| Hits | 32 | 30 |
| Blocks | 25 | 10 |
| Giveaways | 20 | 15 |
| Takeaways | 5 | 2 |
Boston Bruins Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viktor Arvidsson | L | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 13:52 | 0.49 | 1.84 |
| Andrew Peeke | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:41 | 0.02 | 1.61 |
| David Pastrnak | R | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 20:04 | 0.28 | 1.56 |
| Casey Mittelstadt | C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 13:23 | 0.13 | 1.47 |
| Sean Kuraly | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12:48 | 0.00 | 1.44 |
| Nikita Zadorov | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:53 | 0.03 | 1.25 |
| Jonathan Aspirot | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 14:22 | 0.02 | 1.25 |
| Mark Kastelic | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 10:22 | 1.39 | 1.22 |
| Tanner Jeannot | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 12:23 | 0.25 | 1.10 |
| Mason Lohrei | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:17 | 0.00 | 0.97 |
| Pavel Zacha | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 14:24 | 0.20 | 0.91 |
| Hampus Lindholm | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27:40 | 0.46 | 0.86 |
| Morgan Geekie | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 16:17 | 0.00 | 0.82 |
| James Hagens | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:35 | 0.16 | 0.46 |
| Fraser Minten | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:04 | 0.20 | 0.45 |
| Elias Lindholm | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20:18 | 0.12 | 0.40 |
| Charlie McAvoy | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 27:22 | 0.01 | 0.34 |
| Marat Khusnutdinov | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:50 | 0.38 | 0.33 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 23:28 | 0.31 | 0.78 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9:40 | 0.00 | 0.52 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20:28 | 0.00 | 0.39 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 13:13 | 0.37 | 0.29 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:56 | 0.06 | 0.24 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 20:36 | 0.30 | 0.19 |
| Josh Norris | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:39 | 0.28 | 0.08 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 21:58 | 0.98 | 0.05 |
| Jordan Greenway | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:12 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 21:42 | 0.59 | -0.04 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:57 | 0.01 | -0.05 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 20:50 | 0.29 | -0.24 |
| Josh Dunne | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7:29 | 0.00 | -0.26 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:04 | 0.08 | -0.27 |
| Conor Timmins | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:44 | 0.05 | -0.37 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:37 | 0.16 | -0.41 |
| Logan Stanley | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12:51 | 0.09 | -0.62 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 16:55 | 0.80 | -1.04 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremy Swayman | Boston Bruins | 33 | 35 | 94.4% | 2.37 | W |
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | Buffalo Sabres | 16 | 20 | 78.9% | -1.86 | L |
| Alex Lyon | Buffalo Sabres | 7 | 7 | 100.0% | 0.59 |
Analysis
The Boston Bruins defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4–2 on Apr 21, 2026.
Buffalo Sabres generated 4.37 expected goals to Boston Bruins's 4.13 — Buffalo Sabres owned the better of the chances but Boston Bruins took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it; by expected goals it was close to a coin flip.
Viktor Arvidsson led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.84 on 2 goals, 5 shots on goal.
Jeremy Swayman stopped 33 of 35, worth 2.37 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Boston Bruins vs Buffalo Sabres game?
The Boston Bruins beat the Buffalo Sabres 4–2 on Apr 21, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Boston Bruins 4, Buffalo Sabres 2.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Viktor Arvidsson led all skaters at 1.84, on 2G, 0A and 5 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Buffalo Sabres generated 4.37 expected goals and Boston Bruins generated 4.13, so Buffalo Sabres created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Boston Bruins put 26 shots on goal and Buffalo Sabres put 36. High-danger chances went 12 to 19.