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 | 1.00 |
| 2nd | David Pastrnak | R | 1 | 0 | 7 | 25:15 | 0.55 | 0.90 |
| 3rd | Tage Thompson | C | 0 | 1 | 2 | 24:30 | 0.26 | 0.79 |
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 | 1.00 |
| David Pastrnak | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 25:15 | 0.55 | 0.90 |
| Hampus Lindholm | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 21:54 | 0.10 | 0.59 |
| Casey Mittelstadt | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17:25 | 0.30 | 0.25 |
| Jonathan Aspirot | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20:51 | 0.25 | 0.25 |
| Andrew Peeke | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22:52 | 0.00 | 0.20 |
| Michael Eyssimont | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:53 | 0.02 | 0.20 |
| Alex Steeves | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:23 | 0.01 | 0.20 |
| Tanner Jeannot | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11:25 | 0.34 | 0.20 |
| Fraser Minten | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:51 | 0.03 | 0.15 |
| Mark Kastelic | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:50 | 0.00 | 0.15 |
| Morgan Geekie | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18:46 | 1.08 | 0.15 |
| Sean Kuraly | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:30 | 0.00 | 0.10 |
| Pavel Zacha | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 24:19 | 0.45 | 0.05 |
| Henri Jokiharju | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17:27 | 0.06 | 0.05 |
| Marat Khusnutdinov | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:29 | 0.28 | 0.05 |
| Nikita Zadorov | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 23:11 | 0.01 | 0.05 |
| Charlie McAvoy | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 26:24 | 0.27 | -0.15 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tage Thompson | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 24:30 | 0.26 | 0.79 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 29:01 | 1.02 | 0.70 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 20:40 | 0.54 | 0.49 |
| Tyson Kozak | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:55 | 0.36 | 0.30 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 26:13 | 0.01 | 0.25 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 23:54 | 0.10 | 0.15 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:25 | 0.00 | 0.15 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:29 | 0.27 | 0.15 |
| Logan Stanley | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:51 | 0.00 | 0.10 |
| Jordan Greenway | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11:30 | 0.05 | 0.10 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24:27 | 0.12 | 0.05 |
| Conor Timmins | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:08 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23:21 | 0.10 | 0.00 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14:30 | 0.44 | 0.00 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:40 | 0.09 | -0.05 |
| Noah Ostlund | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2:55 | 0.06 | -0.15 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:18 | 0.00 | -0.15 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 23:23 | 0.07 | -0.20 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremy Swayman | Boston Bruins | 25 | 26 | 96.2% | 1.10 | W |
| Alex Lyon | Buffalo Sabres | 27 | 29 | 93.1% | -0.05 | 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 1.0 on 1 goal, 3 shots on goal.
Jeremy Swayman stopped 25 of 26, worth 1.1 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 1.0, 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.