Vancouver Canucks vs. Buffalo SabresJan 6, 2026

FinalTuesday, Jan 6, 2026· KeyBank Center

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Goals	1	2	3	T		Shots	1	2	3	T
VAN	0	0	3	3		VAN	15	8	14	37
BUF	2	1	2	5		BUF	9	7	4	20

: VAN 76BUF 45
: VAN 4.78BUF 3.36
PP goals: VAN 1BUF 0
Hits: VAN 17BUF 16
Blocks: VAN 8BUF 14
PIM: VAN 2BUF 8
: VAN 46%BUF 54%

Fantasy takeaways

Generated from the play-by-play, shifts and season context. No opinions, just what changed.

Buffalo Sabres beat Vancouver Canucks 5–3

Buffalo Sabres beat Vancouver Canucks 5–3 at home. Alex Tuch (BUF) led the scoring with 1G 1A. VAN's first power-play unit (Boeser, DeBrusk, Pettersson, Sherwood and Willander) scored 1 power-play goal on 12 attempts in 3:54 together.

Points
Alex Tuch had a goal and an assist (2 points) on 3 shots in 19:42.Tuch
Points
Bowen Byram had 2 assists (2 points) on 2 shots in 24:29.Byram
Points
Brock Boeser had 2 assists (2 points) on 3 shots in 18:34.Boeser
PP1
VAN's first power-play unit (Boeser, DeBrusk, Pettersson, Sherwood and Willander) scored 1 power-play goal on 12 attempts in 3:54 together.Boeser DeBrusk Pettersson Sherwood Willander
New line
New look for BUF: Zucker–Tuch–Norris skated 11:15 together at 5v5 as the L2 trio (31.8% of the shot attempts), a combination not used in the team's last 5 games.Zucker Tuch Norris
Goalie
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (BUF) faced 37 shots and stopped 34 (.919), +10 against a season average of 26.6; the win.Luukkonen
New line
New look for BUF: Greenway–Malenstyn–Ostlund skated 6:52 together at 5v5 as the L3 trio (60% of the shot attempts), a combination not used in the team's last 5 games.Greenway Malenstyn Ostlund
Luck
VAN scored 3 goals on 4.78 expected goals (76 attempts), well short of its chances.

Shot map

Both teams on one rink, filtered by strength and period.

Shot map

Every attempt, sized by expected goals. Goals are rings, shots on goal dots, misses hollow, blocks crosses.

Strength

Period

Team

← VAN attacks left (bottom on phones)BUF attacks right (top on phones) →

BUF
VAN
Goal
Shot on goal
Missed
Blocked

Showing 121 of 121 attempts · BUF 45 · VAN 76

Game flow

Cumulative expected goals and shot attempts, with power plays shaded and goals marked.

Cumulative shot attempts

BUF
VAN
Goal
Power play (shaded)

Pressure Index

BUF pressure
VAN pressure
Goal
Control (|PI| > 0.25)

: descriptive only, the team with more pressure scored the next goal about half the time. In control: VAN 42% of the game, BUF 30%.

Shift chart

Every shift, grouped by line and pair; bars are coloured by strength state. Click a player to highlight.

Shifts

BUF

VAN

goals / penalties

Even strength
Power play
Penalty kill
Goal
Penalty

Head-to-head matchups

BUF skaters (rows) against VAN skaters (columns) at 5v5. Square size is time together; colour is xGF% from the BUF side.

Matchup matrix

BUF xGF% 4060square size = TOI together · blank = under 1:00

Sequence card

5-on-5 possession-chain numbers from the sequence engine (Draw Equity and control cover all situations).

Sequence card
Stat	VAN	BUF
	54	49
	1.57	2.90
	1.55	2.70
	11	8
	1	2
	19	23
	−0.018	+0.018
	42%	30%

Definitions: sequence xG, transition attempts, Draw Equity, control and the Pressure Index.

Lines used

Detected from who actually shared the ice, with time together. Percentages are the unit's share of shot attempts.

Vancouver Canucks

L1DeBrusk – Pettersson – Karlsson
6:5136% CF
L2Kampf – Sherwood – O'Connor
6:2255% CF
L3Kane – Boeser – Sasson
6:1646% CF
L4Hoglander – Räty – Ohgren
6:0638% CF
D1Hronek – Buium
16:0267% CF
D2Myers – Joseph
11:2957% CF
D3Pettersson – Willander
11:0653% CF

PP1Boeser – DeBrusk – Pettersson – Sherwood – Willander
3:5492% CF
PP2Kane – Hronek – Karlsson – Sasson – Buium
2:51100% CF
PK1FBoeser – DeBrusk
0:34
PK2FKampf – Räty
0:29
PK1DMyers – Pettersson
1:03

Current VAN line combinations →

Buffalo Sabres

L1Thompson – Krebs – Doan
14:1957% CF
L2Zucker – Tuch – Norris
11:1532% CF
L3Greenway – Malenstyn – Ostlund
6:5260% CF
L4McLeod – Quinn – Benson
6:4150% CF
D1Samuelsson – Byram
11:1348% CF
D2Bryson – Metsa
9:5557% CF
D3Dahlin – Power
9:4922% CF

PP1Tuch – McLeod – Quinn – Power – Benson
1:18100% CF
PP2Zucker – Thompson – Norris – Dahlin – Doan
0:420% CF
PK1FTuch – McLeod
5:03
PK2FGreenway – Malenstyn
2:18
PK1DSamuelsson – Byram
3:37
PK2DDahlin – Power
1:50

Current BUF line combinations →

Scoring summary

Every goal with the skaters on the ice for it.

Box score

Skaters grouped by the line they played on; CF% is the 5v5 share of shot attempts while on the ice.

Vancouver Canucks

VAN skaters
Skater	Line	G	A	P	+/-			Hits	Blk	PIM		PP	SH
Elias Pettersson C	L1	1	0	1	-2	3	0.77	0	1	0	18:41	—	—	52	40
Jake DeBrusk L	L1	1	0	1	-2	4	1.15	2	1	0	16:58	—	—	33	27
Linus Karlsson C	L1	0	1	1	+1	3	0.33	1	0	0	15:25	—	—	47	42
Kiefer Sherwood L	L2	0	1	1	-2	6	0.53	4	0	0	17:37	—	—	58	20
David Kampf C	L2	0	0	0	-1	0	0.00	2	0	0	13:50	—	—	63	36
Drew O'Connor L	L2	0	0	0	-1	3	0.26	0	0	0	12:23	—	—	60	29
Brock Boeser R	L3	0	2	2	-3	3	0.41	1	1	0	18:34	—	—	53	41
Evander Kane L	L3	0	0	0	-2	3	0.61	0	0	0	18:11	—	—	59	43
Max Sasson C	L3	0	0	0	0	2	0.15	0	0	0	14:52	—	—	50	32
Liam Ohgren L	L4	1	0	1	+1	4	0.21	1	0	0	13:09	—	—	48	34
Aatu Räty C	L4	0	0	0	0	1	0.14	0	0	0	12:09	—	—	48	31
Nils Hoglander L	L4	0	0	0	0	0	0.02	2	1	0	10:53	—	—	52	33
Filip Hronek D	D1	0	1	1	0	1	0.01	1	0	0	26:20	—	—	66	50
Zeev Buium D	D1	0	0	0	-1	1	0.10	0	1	0	22:50	—	—	58	44
Tyler Myers D	D2	0	0	0	-2	2	0.03	1	1	0	16:26	—	—	50	29
Pierre-Olivier Joseph D	D2	0	0	0	-1	0	0.02	0	2	0	15:34	—	—	47	35
Marcus Pettersson D	D3	0	1	1	0	0	0.00	2	0	0	18:37	—	—	42	26
Tom Willander D	D3	0	0	0	-1	1	0.04	0	0	2	16:40	—	—	50	26

VAN goalies
Goalie	Dec	SA	SV	GA			TOI
Thatcher Demko(start)	L	19	15	4	.789	2.77	58:51

Buffalo Sabres

BUF skaters
Skater	Line	G	A	P	+/-			Hits	Blk	PIM		PP	SH
Tage Thompson C	L1	1	0	1	+2	1	0.57	2	0	4	18:37	—	—	52	71
Josh Doan R	L1	1	0	1	+2	2	0.63	3	0	0	18:11	—	—	54	73
Peyton Krebs C	L1	0	0	0	+2	0	0.01	4	0	0	17:12	—	—	54	72
Alex Tuch R	L2	1	1	2	+2	3	0.49	1	2	0	19:42	—	—	36	70
Josh Norris C	L2	0	1	1	+1	1	0.01	0	0	2	14:28	—	—	32	55
Jason Zucker L	L2	0	0	0	+1	0	0.00	0	0	0	14:11	—	—	38	73
Beck Malenstyn L	L3	0	1	1	0	0	0.05	3	1	0	11:56	—	—	53	68
Noah Ostlund C	L3	0	0	0	0	2	0.08	0	1	0	10:59	—	—	57	80
Jordan Greenway L	L3	0	1	1	0	0	0.01	2	0	0	10:11	—	—	63	71
Ryan McLeod C	L4	1	0	1	0	1	0.35	0	0	0	14:30	—	—	54	37
Zach Benson L	L4	0	0	0	-1	2	0.22	0	0	0	12:52	—	—	40	39
Jack Quinn R	L4	0	0	0	-1	2	0.02	0	0	0	11:11	—	—	50	42
Mattias Samuelsson D	D1	0	1	1	+2	1	0.03	1	5	0	24:36	—	—	49	61
Bowen Byram D	D1	0	2	2	+1	2	0.10	0	2	2	24:29	—	—	51	64
Jacob Bryson D	D2	0	0	0	+1	1	0.05	0	1	0	12:50	—	—	70	90
Zach Metsa D	D2	1	0	1	+1	1	0.32	0	0	0	12:16	—	—	47	78
Owen Power D	D3	0	1	1	+1	1	0.24	0	1	0	22:09	—	—	43	65
Rasmus Dahlin D	D3	0	0	0	0	0	0.21	0	1	0	21:49	—	—	33	47

BUF goalies
Goalie	Dec	SA	SV	GA			TOI
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen(start)	W	37	34	3	.919	4.78	60:00

Goal anatomy

Animated replays from NHL EDGE tracking, with the entry, passes and shot speed for each goal.

Tage Thompson (BUF) 1st 2:01 · assists Bowen Byram, Owen Power · Cycle · 40.6 mph shot.

Tage Thompson · 1st 2:01 · BUF

Play: cycle
Passes: 3 (royal road)
Shot: 40.6 mph
Distance: 16 ft

Watch on NHL.com → · Tracking-derived via NHL EDGE

Josh Doan · 3rd 18:36 · BUF EN

Play: odd-man-rush
Entry: loose
Odd man: 6-on-2
Passes: 0
Shot: 27.8 mph
Distance: 38 ft
Entry to goal: 2.7 s

Watch on NHL.com → · Tracking-derived via NHL EDGE

Ryan McLeod · 1st 11:24 · BUF SH

Play: odd-man-rush
Entry: carry
Odd man: 2-on-1
Passes: 0
Shot: 42.7 mph
Distance: 11 ft
Entry to goal: 2.2 s

Watch on NHL.com → · Tracking-derived via NHL EDGE

Alex Tuch · 2nd 9:37 · BUF

Play: rebound
Passes: 1 (royal road)
Shot: 43.3 mph
Distance: 6 ft
Type: rebound

Watch on NHL.com → · Tracking-derived via NHL EDGE

Zach Metsa · 3rd 6:13 · BUF

Play: turnover-forecheck
Passes: 0
Shot: 33.2 mph
Distance: 17 ft

Watch on NHL.com → · Tracking-derived via NHL EDGE

Jake DeBrusk · 3rd 10:17 · VAN PP

Play: rebound
Passes: 0
Shot: 30.4 mph
Distance: 3 ft
Type: rebound

Watch on NHL.com → · Tracking-derived via NHL EDGE

Elias Pettersson · 3rd 15:16 · VAN

Play: turnover-forecheck
Passes: 0
Shot: 50.3 mph
Distance: 21 ft

Watch on NHL.com → · Tracking-derived via NHL EDGE

Liam Ohgren · 3rd 15:55 · VAN

Play: turnover-forecheck
Passes: 0
Shot: 50.5 mph
Distance: 32 ft

Watch on NHL.com → · Tracking-derived via NHL EDGE

Methodology

Shot locations come from the NHL play-by-play, normalised so each shooter attacks the same way, then flipped so the home team attacks right. On-ice stats and lines come from the shift charts: a unit is the exact set of skaters sharing the ice, and CF% is the share of all shot attempts while they were out. Head-to-head cells are 5v5 time against each opponent. Expected goals and the Pressure Index appear as their models are released.

Vancouver Canucks vs. Buffalo SabresJan 6, 2026

Fantasy takeaways

Buffalo Sabres beat Vancouver Canucks 5–3

Shot map

Shot map

Game flow

Cumulative shot attempts

Shift chart

Shifts

Head-to-head matchups

Matchup matrix

Sequence card

Lines used

Vancouver Canucks

Buffalo Sabres

Scoring summary

1st period

2nd period

3rd period

Box score

Vancouver Canucks

Buffalo Sabres

Goal anatomy

Tage Thompson · 1st 2:01 · BUF

Josh Doan · 3rd 18:36 · BUF EN

Ryan McLeod · 1st 11:24 · BUF SH

Alex Tuch · 2nd 9:37 · BUF

Zach Metsa · 3rd 6:13 · BUF

Jake DeBrusk · 3rd 10:17 · VAN PP

Elias Pettersson · 3rd 15:16 · VAN

Liam Ohgren · 3rd 15:55 · VAN