Go ad-free AND support the site for the 26-27 season for just $18. Sign up now!
Game Recap
NSH2
FinalSat, Mar 7, 2026Every game that night
BUF3

BUF beat NSH 3-2, with the chances close: 2.76 expected goals to 2.63. J. Zucker had 5 shots on goal against our projection of 2.1. A. Lyon stopped 23 of 25.

Scoring

1st2nd3rdT
NSH0112
BUF0213
  1. 2nd 1:17NSHZ. L'Heureux0.15 xG
  2. 2nd 12:39BUFT. Thompson0.14 xG
  3. 2nd 14:17BUFJ. Zucker0.61 xG
  4. 3rd 0:16BUFJ. Doan0.16 xG
  5. 3rd 16:08NSHM. WoodPP0.11 xG

Team Stats

NSHBUF
25Shots on goal24
2.63Expected goals2.76
59Shot attempts53
145v5 shots on goal22
1/3Power play0/2
15Hits20
11Blocked shots17
6Penalty minutes8
13Giveaways14
8Takeaways5

Expected goals: the chance each unblocked shot had of going in, by our model, added up.

Expected Goals Over the Game

NSH 2.63 xGBUF 2.76 xGGoal

00.511.522.531st2nd3rdNSH goal, 1:17BUF goal, 12:39BUF goal, 14:17BUF goal, 0:16NSH goal, 16:08

Each step up is a shot: how likely it was to go in. A team well above the other had the better chances, whatever the score.

Shot Map

NSH24 on goal, 2 scored
BUF23 on goal, 3 scored

GoalSavedMissedBlockedBigger: a better chance

Box Score

NSH Skaters

PlayerPosGAPSOGHITBLK+/-PIMTOIPP TOI
R. O'ReillyC0112000021:203:03
S. StamkosC011111-1217:533:04
J. MarchessaultRW0110200017:033:04
M. WoodRW101302-1015:571:20
Z. L'HeureuxLW101221+1013:260:00
F. ForsbergLW000400-1018:483:03
E. HaulaLW0003200016:121:10
L. EvangelistaRW000300-1015:481:10
J. KemellRW0000210015:001:00
T. JostC000000-1410:470:00
F. SvechkovC000011-109:490:00
O. WiesblattC000010-109:210:00
R. JosiD011200-2025:563:06
B. SkjeiD000000-2021:350:09
N. HagueD000312+1020:590:00
N. PerbixD0002130018:410:00
R. UfkoD000010-1013:441:07
J. BarronD0000100012:490:00
GoalieSASVGASV%TOI
J. Saros24213.87558:52Loss
J. Annunen000–0:00

BUF Skaters

PlayerPosGAPSOGHITBLK+/-PIMTOIPP TOI
A. TuchRW011021+1021:192:02
T. ThompsonC101421+1018:532:19
J. NorrisC011001+1016:371:59
J. DoanRW101320+1016:111:25
N. OstlundC011000+1014:460:36
J. ZuckerLW1015010014:422:17
J. QuinnRW0112210214:101:37
R. McLeodC0000000217:322:01
P. KrebsC000020+1214:270:04
Z. BensonLW000210009:320:04
B. MalenstynLW000042009:120:00
S. CarrickC000121008:550:00
R. DahlinD011100+3024:362:15
M. SamuelssonD000111+1224:360:00
B. ByramD0001110023:111:45
O. PowerD000203-1023:021:07
Z. MetsaD0001010011:380:00
M. KesselringD000113+1010:280:00
GoalieSASVGASV%TOI
A. Lyon25232.92060:00Win
C. Ellis000–0:00

Lines at 5-on-5

NSH

Line 3Z. L'Heureux12:33J. Kemell12:56E. Haula11:52
Pair 1R. Josi19:22B. Skjei17:56
Pair 2N. Hague18:43J. Barron12:49
Pair 3R. Ufko12:37N. Perbix15:57

BUF

Line 1A. Tuch14:50T. Thompson15:29P. Krebs13:12
Line 2J. Doan14:46J. Norris14:00N. Ostlund14:10
Line 3J. Zucker12:25R. McLeod12:26J. Quinn12:33
Pair 1M. Samuelsson21:22R. Dahlin19:36
Pair 2B. Byram18:31O. Power18:22

From the NHL's shift charts: the players on the ice together most at 5-on-5, with each one's own 5-on-5 time.

Storylines That Played Out

  • Old teamJason Zucker BUF Faces NSH, his team until May 20241 G, 5 SOG

As Tonight had them before puck drop, with what each player did.

How We Did

We projectedIt finished
ScoreNSH 3.1, BUF 3.6NSH 2, BUF 3
Total goals6.85
Shots on goalNSH 29.5, BUF 29.4NSH 25, BUF 24
Win chanceBUF 58%BUF won

Players

PlayerSOG projectedSOGPoints projectedPointsGoal chanceGoals
BUF T. Thompson3.641.15142%1
NSH F. Forsberg3.440.89036%0
NSH R. Josi2.920.84119%0
BUF A. Tuch2.600.91132%0
BUF R. Dahlin2.510.94120%0
NSH S. Stamkos2.510.80134%0
NSH J. Marchessault2.500.62128%0
NSH L. Evangelista2.330.64018%0
BUF J. Doan2.230.71124%1
NSH R. O'Reilly2.220.83127%0
BUF J. Quinn2.120.65120%0
BUF J. Zucker2.150.70125%1
NSH E. Haula1.830.45018%0
BUF J. Norris1.700.71129%0
NSH J. Kemell1.700.22012%0
BUF O. Power1.720.4709%0
BUF Z. Benson1.520.47014%0
NSH B. Skjei1.500.3509%0
BUF R. McLeod1.400.74021%0
NSH M. Wood1.430.33116%1
BUF M. Samuelsson1.410.46010%0
NSH T. Jost1.300.2309%0
BUF B. Byram1.310.57014%0
NSH Z. L'Heureux1.220.22110%1
BUF N. Ostlund1.200.49118%0
BUF M. Kesselring1.110.2005%0
BUF P. Krebs1.100.44012%0
NSH N. Hague1.130.2206%0
NSH N. Perbix1.020.2305%0
BUF B. Malenstyn1.000.1908%0
NSH F. Svechkov1.000.2109%0
BUF S. Carrick0.910.1908%0
NSH J. Barron0.700.1605%0
NSH O. Wiesblatt0.700.1607%0
BUF Z. Metsa0.610.1605%0

Shots on goal: 19 of 35 players within one of their projection; they took 0.3 fewer than projected on average.

Our projections as they stood at puck drop. One game says little about a model; Model Notes has how it tests over thousands.