Buffalo Sabres at Boston Bruins
NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Boston Bruins on Apr 23, 2026. Final score: Buffalo Sabres 3, Boston Bruins 1.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Apr 23, 2026 |
| Venue | TD Garden |
| Series | R1 Game 3: BUF 2-1 BOS |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 3 |
| Boston Bruins score | 1 |
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 | Bowen Byram | D | 1 | 1 | 2 | 21:59 | 0.08 | 1.94 |
| 2nd | Noah Ostlund | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 14:18 | 0.64 | 1.84 |
| 3rd | Owen Power | D | 0 | 1 | 0 | 19:59 | 0.00 | 1.20 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Buffalo Sabres–Boston Bruins) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd 03:26 | BOS | Tanner Jeannot | Charlie McAvoy | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 2nd 10:58 | BUF | Bowen Byram | Noah Ostlund, Owen Power | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 3rd 04:03 | BUF | Alex Tuch | Peyton Krebs, Bowen Byram | 5v5 | 2–1 |
| 3rd 18:36 | BUF | Noah Ostlund | Jack Quinn | 6v5 | 3–1 |
Team Comparison
| Buffalo Sabres | Boston Bruins | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 3 | 1 |
| Shots on goal | 30 | 25 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 3.40 | 1.98 |
| High-danger shots | 12 | 5 |
| Corsi % | 56.7% | 43.3% |
| Power play | 0/5 | 0/5 |
| Faceoff % | 51.0% | 49.0% |
| Hits | 38 | 35 |
| Blocks | 9 | 15 |
| Giveaways | 9 | 18 |
| Takeaways | 6 | 5 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowen Byram | D | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 21:59 | 0.08 | 1.94 |
| Noah Ostlund | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 14:18 | 0.64 | 1.84 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 19:59 | 0.00 | 1.20 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 21:26 | 0.14 | 0.99 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 16:52 | 0.50 | 0.78 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 12:47 | 0.13 | 0.71 |
| Tyson Kozak | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8:35 | 0.64 | 0.69 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14:49 | 0.13 | 0.63 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:31 | 0.15 | 0.55 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:27 | 0.01 | 0.53 |
| Jordan Greenway | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:13 | 0.06 | 0.49 |
| Logan Stanley | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:25 | 0.00 | 0.37 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 23:29 | 0.16 | 0.35 |
| Conor Timmins | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:16 | 0.01 | 0.26 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 17:21 | 0.36 | 0.19 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 19:16 | 0.28 | -0.09 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:33 | 0.04 | -0.15 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:49 | 0.08 | -0.28 |
Boston Bruins Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie McAvoy | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 27:07 | 0.08 | 0.80 |
| Andrew Peeke | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:21 | 0.00 | 0.54 |
| David Pastrnak | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 21:21 | 0.30 | 0.53 |
| Tanner Jeannot | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 9:10 | 0.02 | 0.44 |
| Pavel Zacha | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 19:54 | 0.49 | 0.23 |
| Nikita Zadorov | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:32 | 0.00 | 0.11 |
| Mark Kastelic | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11:15 | 0.26 | 0.07 |
| Morgan Geekie | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19:32 | 0.20 | 0.07 |
| Elias Lindholm | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:34 | 0.10 | 0.05 |
| Viktor Arvidsson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 15:33 | 0.40 | 0.05 |
| Casey Mittelstadt | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:44 | 0.03 | -0.01 |
| James Hagens | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:53 | 0.08 | -0.10 |
| Jonathan Aspirot | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:27 | 0.00 | -0.10 |
| Fraser Minten | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:23 | 0.00 | -0.17 |
| Sean Kuraly | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:41 | 0.00 | -0.27 |
| Marat Khusnutdinov | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:15 | 0.00 | -0.39 |
| Mason Lohrei | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:18 | 0.02 | -0.62 |
| Hampus Lindholm | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21:37 | 0.01 | -0.86 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Lyon | Buffalo Sabres | 24 | 25 | 96.0% | 0.97 | W |
| Jeremy Swayman | Boston Bruins | 27 | 29 | 93.1% | 0.16 | L |
Analysis
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Boston Bruins 3–1 on Apr 23, 2026.
Boston Bruins generated 1.98 expected goals to Buffalo Sabres's 3.4 — the run of play matched the result, with Buffalo Sabres earning the better chances as well as the goals.
Bowen Byram led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.94 on 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 shots on goal.
Alex Lyon stopped 24 of 25, worth 0.97 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Buffalo Sabres vs Boston Bruins game?
The Buffalo Sabres beat the Boston Bruins 3–1 on Apr 23, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Buffalo Sabres 3, Boston Bruins 1.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Bowen Byram led all skaters at 1.94, on 1G, 1A and 2 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Boston Bruins generated 1.98 expected goals and Buffalo Sabres generated 3.4, so Buffalo Sabres created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Buffalo Sabres put 30 shots on goal and Boston Bruins put 25. High-danger chances went 12 to 5.