Buffalo Sabres at Columbus Blue Jackets
NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct 01, 2026. Final score: Buffalo Sabres 3, Columbus Blue Jackets 6.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Oct 01, 2026 |
| Venue | Nationwide Arena |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 3 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets score | 6 |
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 | Charlie Coyle | C | 0 | 3 | 0 | 19:04 | 0.00 | 2.60 |
| 2nd | Zach Werenski | D | 0 | 2 | 3 | 28:46 | 0.12 | 1.79 |
| 3rd | Matthew Knies | L | 2 | 1 | 4 | 16:06 | 0.53 | 1.77 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Buffalo Sabres–Columbus Blue Jackets) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 07:21 | BUF | Mattias Samuelsson | Noah Ostlund, Owen Power | 4v4 | 1–0 |
| 1st 12:51 | CBJ | Cole Sillinger | Charlie Coyle, Denton Mateychuk | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 1st 17:58 | CBJ | Matthew Knies | Charlie Coyle, Zach Werenski | 5v4 | 1–2 |
| 1st 18:44 | CBJ | Adam Fantilli | Zach Werenski, Matthew Knies | 5v5 | 1–3 |
| 2nd 01:25 | BUF | Jack Quinn | Zach Benson, Noah Ostlund | 5v5 | 2–3 |
| 2nd 07:45 | CBJ | Matthew Knies | Emil Andrae, Kent Johnson | 5v5 | 2–4 |
| 2nd 13:14 | BUF | Konsta Helenius | Ryan McLeod, Owen Power | 5v5 | 3–4 |
| 3rd 14:21 | CBJ | Sean Monahan | Valeri Nichushkin, Dmitri Voronkov | 5v4 | 3–5 |
| 3rd 17:53 | CBJ | Mathieu Olivier | Charlie Coyle | 5v6 | 3–6 |
Team Comparison
| Buffalo Sabres | Columbus Blue Jackets | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 3 | 6 |
| Shots on goal | 26 | 23 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.25 | 2.31 |
| High-danger shots | 22 | 11 |
| Corsi % | 59.0% | 41.0% |
| Power play | 0/5 | 2/3 |
| Faceoff % | 44.6% | 55.4% |
| Hits | 21 | 25 |
| Blocks | 8 | 15 |
| Giveaways | 15 | 12 |
| Takeaways | 2 | 6 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noah Ostlund | C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 16:42 | 0.24 | 1.17 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 20:46 | 0.38 | 1.06 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 25:25 | 0.00 | 0.95 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 18:34 | 0.39 | 0.81 |
| Konsta Helenius | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 15:09 | 0.12 | 0.62 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16:41 | 0.00 | 0.34 |
| Josh Norris | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:19 | 0.06 | 0.25 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8:11 | 0.01 | 0.18 |
| Matt Grzelcyk | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:27 | 0.00 | 0.17 |
| Zach Metsa | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:54 | 0.00 | 0.11 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:58 | 0.04 | -0.00 |
| Louis Crevier | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:14 | 0.09 | -0.01 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 18:21 | 0.03 | -0.05 |
| Sam Carrick | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7:43 | 0.00 | -0.06 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 19:06 | 0.29 | -0.10 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 19:46 | 0.41 | -0.30 |
| Jiri Kulich | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8:45 | 0.06 | -0.48 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 25:58 | 0.13 | -0.56 |
Columbus Blue Jackets Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Coyle | C | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 19:04 | 0.00 | 2.60 |
| Zach Werenski | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 28:46 | 0.12 | 1.79 |
| Matthew Knies | L | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 16:06 | 0.53 | 1.77 |
| Valeri Nichushkin | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 15:45 | 0.00 | 1.14 |
| Mathieu Olivier | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 14:32 | 0.58 | 1.14 |
| Sean Monahan | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 15:31 | 0.15 | 0.98 |
| Adam Fantilli | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 17:28 | 0.08 | 0.98 |
| Denton Mateychuk | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 27:28 | 0.04 | 0.88 |
| Cole Sillinger | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 15:21 | 0.32 | 0.80 |
| Dmitri Voronkov | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10:44 | 0.00 | 0.77 |
| Conor Garland | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:09 | 0.06 | 0.66 |
| Danton Heinen | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12:11 | 0.29 | 0.66 |
| Emil Andrae | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 15:37 | 0.00 | 0.59 |
| Jake Christiansen | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7:05 | 0.02 | 0.43 |
| Ryan Lomberg | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:21 | 0.02 | 0.41 |
| Carson Soucy | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20:15 | 0.05 | 0.30 |
| Erik Gudbranson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:44 | 0.02 | 0.18 |
| Kent Johnson | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14:53 | 0.02 | 0.11 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | Buffalo Sabres | 17 | 22 | 77.3% | -3.09 | L |
| Jet Greaves | Columbus Blue Jackets | 23 | 26 | 88.5% | -0.75 | W |
Analysis
The Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Buffalo Sabres 6–3 on Oct 01, 2026.
Columbus Blue Jackets generated 2.31 expected goals to Buffalo Sabres's 2.25 — the run of play matched the result, with Columbus Blue Jackets earning the better chances as well as the goals; by expected goals it was close to a coin flip.
Charlie Coyle led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.6 on 3 assists.
Jet Greaves stopped 23 of 26, worth -0.75 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Buffalo Sabres vs Columbus Blue Jackets game?
The Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Buffalo Sabres 6–3 on Oct 01, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Columbus Blue Jackets 6, Buffalo Sabres 3.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Charlie Coyle led all skaters at 2.6, on 0G, 3A and 0 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Columbus Blue Jackets generated 2.31 expected goals and Buffalo Sabres generated 2.25, so Columbus Blue Jackets created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Buffalo Sabres put 26 shots on goal and Columbus Blue Jackets put 23. High-danger chances went 22 to 11.