Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres
NHL game between the Boston Bruins and the Buffalo Sabres on Apr 28, 2026. Final score: Boston Bruins 2, Buffalo Sabres 1.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Apr 28, 2026 |
| Venue | KeyBank Center |
| Series | R1 Game 5: BUF 3-2 BOS |
| Boston Bruins score | 2 |
| Buffalo Sabres 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 | Elias Lindholm | C | 1 | 0 | 3 | 21:01 | 0.34 | 1.26 |
| 2nd | Rasmus Dahlin | D | 1 | 0 | 3 | 29:01 | 1.02 | 1.24 |
| 3rd | Tyson Kozak | C | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:55 | 0.36 | 1.13 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Boston Bruins–Buffalo Sabres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 03:35 | BUF | Rasmus Dahlin | Jason Zucker, Tage Thompson | 5v4 | 0–1 |
| 2nd 09:24 | BOS | Elias Lindholm | — | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| OT 09:14 | BOS | David Pastrnak | Hampus Lindholm | 5v5 | 2–1 |
Team Comparison
| Boston Bruins | Buffalo Sabres | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 2 | 1 |
| Shots on goal | 29 | 26 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 4.08 | 3.51 |
| High-danger shots | 19 | 16 |
| Corsi % | 46.2% | 53.8% |
| Power play | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| Faceoff % | 59.6% | 40.4% |
| Hits | 43 | 27 |
| Blocks | 24 | 16 |
| Giveaways | 20 | 22 |
| Takeaways | 7 | 2 |
Boston Bruins Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elias Lindholm | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 21:01 | 0.34 | 1.26 |
| Jonathan Aspirot | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20:51 | 0.25 | 0.97 |
| Charlie McAvoy | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 26:24 | 0.27 | 0.88 |
| David Pastrnak | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 25:15 | 0.55 | 0.85 |
| Morgan Geekie | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18:46 | 1.08 | 0.50 |
| Alex Steeves | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:23 | 0.01 | 0.38 |
| Michael Eyssimont | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:53 | 0.02 | 0.37 |
| Casey Mittelstadt | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17:25 | 0.30 | 0.33 |
| Fraser Minten | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:51 | 0.03 | 0.23 |
| Hampus Lindholm | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 21:54 | 0.10 | 0.01 |
| Pavel Zacha | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 24:19 | 0.45 | -0.03 |
| Mark Kastelic | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:50 | 0.00 | -0.04 |
| Tanner Jeannot | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11:25 | 0.34 | -0.13 |
| Sean Kuraly | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:30 | 0.00 | -0.24 |
| Marat Khusnutdinov | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:29 | 0.28 | -0.25 |
| Henri Jokiharju | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17:27 | 0.06 | -0.56 |
| Andrew Peeke | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22:52 | 0.00 | -0.68 |
| Nikita Zadorov | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 23:11 | 0.01 | -0.89 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 29:01 | 1.02 | 1.24 |
| Tyson Kozak | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:55 | 0.36 | 1.13 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23:21 | 0.10 | 0.81 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:25 | 0.00 | 0.68 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 20:40 | 0.54 | 0.66 |
| Jordan Greenway | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11:30 | 0.05 | 0.63 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 23:23 | 0.07 | 0.63 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:40 | 0.09 | 0.58 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14:30 | 0.44 | 0.53 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 24:30 | 0.26 | 0.38 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 26:13 | 0.01 | 0.37 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:29 | 0.27 | 0.14 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:18 | 0.00 | -0.05 |
| Noah Ostlund | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2:55 | 0.06 | -0.13 |
| Logan Stanley | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:51 | 0.00 | -0.21 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 23:54 | 0.10 | -0.45 |
| Conor Timmins | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:08 | 0.00 | -0.46 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24:27 | 0.12 | -0.57 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremy Swayman | Boston Bruins | 25 | 26 | 96.2% | 2.74 | W |
| Alex Lyon | Buffalo Sabres | 27 | 29 | 93.1% | 1.70 | L |
Analysis
The Boston Bruins defeated the Buffalo Sabres 2–1 on Apr 28, 2026, a one-goal game.
Buffalo Sabres generated 3.51 expected goals to Boston Bruins's 4.08 — Boston Bruins edged the chance share as well as the scoreline.
Elias Lindholm led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.26 on 1 goal, 3 shots on goal.
Jeremy Swayman stopped 25 of 26, worth 2.74 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Boston Bruins vs Buffalo Sabres game?
The Boston Bruins beat the Buffalo Sabres 2–1 on Apr 28, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Boston Bruins 2, Buffalo Sabres 1.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Elias Lindholm led all skaters at 1.26, on 1G, 0A and 3 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Buffalo Sabres generated 3.51 expected goals and Boston Bruins generated 4.08, so Boston Bruins created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Boston Bruins put 29 shots on goal and Buffalo Sabres put 26. High-danger chances went 19 to 16.