Go ad-free AND support the site for the 26-27 season for just $18. Sign up now!
Game Recap
VGK7
FinalSun, Jan 11, 2026Every game that night
SJS2

VGK beat SJS 7-2, and the chances backed it up: 3.35 expected goals to 2.24. VGK outshot SJS 32 to 20. T. Hertl led the way with 5 points (2 G, 3 A). J. Eichel had 7 shots on goal against our projection of 3.5. C. Lindbom stopped 18 of 20.

Team Stats

VGKSJS
32Shots on goal20
3.35Expected goals2.24
55Shot attempts46
225v5 shots on goal14
2/4Power play0/5
19Hits21
11Blocked shots15
10Penalty minutes8
23Giveaways11
4Takeaways5

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

Expected Goals Over the Game

VGK 3.35 xGSJS 2.24 xGGoal

00.511.522.533.51st2nd3rdVGK goal, 7:19SJS goal, 9:33VGK goal, 10:57VGK goal, 4:19VGK goal, 11:00VGK goal, 12:25SJS goal, 16:29VGK goal, 18:59

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

VGK31 on goal, 6 scored
SJS20 on goal, 2 scored

GoalSavedMissedBlockedBigger: a better chance

Box Score

VGK Skaters

PlayerPosGAPSOGHITBLK+/-PIMTOIPP TOI
T. HertlC235300+3015:354:25
P. DorofeyevRW123302+1218:254:42
M. StoneRW033212+1017:444:30
J. EichelC202710+2217:004:30
I. BarbashevLW011010+209:590:06
M. MarnerRW000300-1021:404:47
R. SmithRW000300+1017:030:11
C. SissonsC000110-1015:490:00
K. KolesarRW000050+1012:510:00
A. HoltzRW000110-1011:360:00
B. BowmanRW0002000010:590:00
C. ReinhardtLW000010+129:530:05
N. HanifinD0222000220:240:05
S. TheodoreD101202+3023:050:17
J. LauzonD011141+3220:260:06
Z. WhitecloudD1012120019:020:00
K. KorczakD0000320015:260:00
B. HuttonD0000000013:060:11
GoalieSASVGASV%TOI
C. Lindbom20182.90059:57Win
A. Schmid000–0:00

SJS Skaters

PlayerPosGAPSOGHITBLK+/-PIMTOIPP TOI
A. WennbergC101100-1021:066:08
T. ToffoliC011110-1217:195:39
C. GrafRW101210+1013:130:00
J. SkinnerLW011310+1012:151:59
M. CelebriniC000101-4023:537:01
W. EklundLW000311-4222:416:14
I. ChernyshovLW000100-3016:372:07
P. RegendaLW000020-1012:332:32
M. MisaC000001+1011:431:08
Z. OstapchukC0000310011:340:04
B. GoodrowC0001500010:560:02
A. GaudetteRW000311009:560:00
T. LiljegrenD011101-1218:550:02
D. OrlovD000012-2021:524:17
J. KlingbergD000121-2021:483:58
V. IorioD000112+1017:180:08
S. DickinsonD000112-2216:470:00
M. FerraroD000012+1014:150:06
GoalieSASVGASV%TOI
Y. Askarov31256.80658:49Loss
A. Nedeljkovic000–0:00

Lines at 5-on-5

VGK

Line 1R. Smith13:30M. Marner13:31P. Dorofeyev13:40
Line 2K. Kolesar11:08A. Holtz11:27T. Hertl10:46
Pair 1S. Theodore16:16J. Lauzon15:00
Pair 2N. Hanifin15:58Z. Whitecloud14:35
Pair 3B. Hutton12:55K. Korczak13:39

SJS

Line 3J. Skinner10:16M. Misa9:55C. Graf9:34
Pair 1J. Klingberg16:17S. Dickinson14:58
Pair 2V. Iorio14:34M. Ferraro12:51
Pair 3D. Orlov14:04T. Liljegren15:16

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 teamTomas Hertl VGK Faces SJS, his team until Jan 20242 G, 3 A, 3 SOG

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

How We Did

We projectedIt finished
ScoreVGK 3.5, SJS 2.7VGK 7, SJS 2
Total goals6.29
Shots on goalVGK 29.2, SJS 23.9VGK 32, SJS 20
Win chanceVGK 63%VGK won

Players

PlayerSOG projectedSOGPoints projectedPointsGoal chanceGoals
SJS M. Celebrini3.511.34035%0
VGK J. Eichel3.571.24235%2
VGK P. Dorofeyev2.830.67332%1
SJS T. Toffoli2.610.74130%0
VGK T. Hertl2.430.74528%2
SJS W. Eklund2.430.77022%0
VGK N. Hanifin2.220.55211%0
VGK M. Stone2.221.08331%0
VGK S. Theodore2.120.72111%1
VGK M. Marner1.931.17029%0
SJS P. Regenda1.800.36019%0
SJS I. Chernyshov1.610.54017%0
SJS J. Klingberg1.510.51012%0
VGK I. Barbashev1.500.67124%0
SJS J. Skinner1.530.43120%0
VGK B. Hutton1.500.3209%0
SJS M. Misa1.500.38013%0
VGK A. Holtz1.510.31015%0
VGK R. Smith1.430.46019%0
SJS A. Wennberg1.310.61117%1
VGK B. Bowman1.320.42015%0
SJS A. Gaudette1.330.34017%0
SJS D. Orlov1.200.4408%0
VGK K. Korczak1.200.3505%0
VGK J. Lauzon1.110.1915%0
SJS C. Graf1.120.46118%1
VGK C. Sissons1.010.25010%0
SJS M. Ferraro1.000.2205%0
VGK K. Kolesar1.000.29011%0
SJS T. Liljegren1.010.2716%0
VGK Z. Whitecloud0.920.2317%1
SJS S. Dickinson0.810.1704%0
VGK C. Reinhardt0.800.1809%0
SJS B. Goodrow0.710.1708%0
SJS Z. Ostapchuk0.700.1106%0
SJS V. Iorio0.610.1603%0

Shots on goal: 20 of 36 players within one of their projection; they took 0.1 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.