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 | 1.49 |
| 2nd | Noah Ostlund | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 14:18 | 0.64 | 1.39 |
| 3rd | Charlie McAvoy | D | 0 | 1 | 3 | 27:07 | 0.08 | 1.09 |
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 | 1.49 |
| Noah Ostlund | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 14:18 | 0.64 | 1.39 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 21:26 | 0.14 | 0.95 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 19:59 | 0.00 | 0.79 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 16:52 | 0.50 | 0.69 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 12:47 | 0.13 | 0.69 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:27 | 0.01 | 0.30 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14:49 | 0.13 | 0.20 |
| Logan Stanley | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:25 | 0.00 | 0.20 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 17:21 | 0.36 | 0.15 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:31 | 0.15 | 0.15 |
| Tyson Kozak | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8:35 | 0.64 | 0.15 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:33 | 0.04 | 0.10 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 23:29 | 0.16 | 0.00 |
| Jordan Greenway | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:13 | 0.06 | -0.05 |
| Conor Timmins | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:16 | 0.01 | -0.05 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 19:16 | 0.28 | -0.05 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:49 | 0.08 | -0.20 |
Boston Bruins Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie McAvoy | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 27:07 | 0.08 | 1.09 |
| Tanner Jeannot | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 9:10 | 0.02 | 0.65 |
| Mark Kastelic | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11:15 | 0.26 | 0.25 |
| Fraser Minten | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:23 | 0.00 | 0.20 |
| Jonathan Aspirot | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:27 | 0.00 | 0.20 |
| Pavel Zacha | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 19:54 | 0.49 | 0.15 |
| David Pastrnak | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 21:21 | 0.30 | 0.15 |
| Andrew Peeke | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:21 | 0.00 | 0.10 |
| Marat Khusnutdinov | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:15 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Sean Kuraly | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:41 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Viktor Arvidsson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 15:33 | 0.40 | 0.05 |
| Mason Lohrei | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:18 | 0.02 | 0.00 |
| J. Hagens | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:53 | 0.08 | 0.00 |
| Casey Mittelstadt | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:44 | 0.03 | -0.05 |
| Elias Lindholm | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:34 | 0.10 | -0.05 |
| Nikita Zadorov | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:32 | 0.00 | -0.10 |
| Hampus Lindholm | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21:37 | 0.01 | -0.20 |
| Morgan Geekie | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19:32 | 0.20 | -0.20 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Lyon | Buffalo Sabres | 24 | 25 | 96.0% | 1.70 | W |
| Jeremy Swayman | Boston Bruins | 27 | 29 | 93.1% | 0.93 | 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 1.49 on 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 shots on goal.
Alex Lyon stopped 24 of 25, worth 1.7 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 1.49, 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.