Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Buffalo SabresMar 27, 2025

FinalThursday, Mar 27, 2025· KeyBank Center

away

home

Goals	1	2	3	T		Shots	1	2	3	T
PIT	1	0	2	3		PIT	7	12	7	26
BUF	2	5	0	7		BUF	10	12	8	30

: PIT 49BUF 50
: PIT 1.84BUF 2.62
PP goals: PIT 0BUF 0
Hits: PIT 28BUF 15
Blocks: PIT 8BUF 14
PIM: PIT 15BUF 13
: PIT 58%BUF 42%

Fantasy takeaways

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

Buffalo Sabres rout Pittsburgh Penguins 7–3

Buffalo Sabres beat Pittsburgh Penguins 7–3 at home. Jiri Kulich (BUF) led the scoring with 2G 0A. BUF scored 7 goals on 2.62 expected goals (50 attempts), finishing well above its chances.

Points
Jiri Kulich had two goals (2 points) on 4 shots in 19:07.Kulich
Points
Alex Tuch had a goal and an assist (2 points) on 1 shot in 17:41.Tuch
Points
Peyton Krebs had a goal and an assist (2 points) on 2 shots in 15:02.Krebs
Points
Tage Thompson had a goal and an assist (2 points) on 3 shots in 19:53.Thompson
Points
Tyson Kozak had a goal and an assist (2 points) on 2 shots in 9:07.Kozak
Points
Bowen Byram had 2 assists (2 points) on 1 shot in 24:01.Byram
Points
Rasmus Dahlin had 2 assists (2 points) on 3 shots in 20:33.Dahlin
Luck
BUF scored 7 goals on 2.62 expected goals (50 attempts), finishing well above 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

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

BUF
PIT
Goal
Shot on goal
Missed
Blocked

Showing 99 of 99 attempts · BUF 50 · PIT 49

Game flow

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

Cumulative shot attempts

BUF
PIT
Goal
Power play (shaded)

Pressure Index

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

: descriptive only, the team with more pressure scored the next goal about half the time. In control: PIT 26% of the game, BUF 36%.

Shift chart

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

Shifts

BUF

PIT

goals / penalties

Even strength
Power play
Penalty kill
Goal
Penalty

Sequence card

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

Sequence card
Stat	PIT	BUF
	48	43
	1.87	2.22
	1.77	2.18
	14	12
	5	6
	24	23
	+0.021	−0.021
	26%	36%

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.

Pittsburgh Penguins

L1Crosby – Rust – Rakell
15:2241% CF
L2Acciari – Koppanen – Lizotte
10:3338% CF
L3Hayes – Heinen – Dewar
4:1675% CF
D1Letang – Grzelcyk
12:4950% CF
D2Karlsson – Timmins
10:5574% CF
D3Graves – Kolyachonok
6:3429% CF

PP1Crosby – Hayes – Rust – Rakell – Grzelcyk
2:5167% CF
PP2Crosby – Letang – Karlsson – Heinen – Tomasino
1:06
PK1FAcciari – Dewar
2:05
PK2FRust – Koppanen
1:35
PK1DLetang – Grzelcyk
2:49
PK2DKarlsson – Timmins
2:25

Current PIT line combinations →

Buffalo Sabres

L1Thompson – Kulich – Benson
11:4052% CF
L2McLeod – Quinn – Peterka
8:5431% CF
L3Tuch – Krebs – Rosen
7:3055% CF
L4Malenstyn – Dunne – Kozak
4:1920% CF
D1Clifton – Byram
14:4041% CF
D2Samuelsson – Dahlin
9:4442% CF
D3Bernard-Docker – Power
9:1631% CF

PP1Tuch – Thompson – McLeod – Dahlin – Peterka
3:1675% CF
PP2Byram – Quinn – Power – Kulich – Benson
1:5667% CF
PK1FTuch – McLeod
1:51
PK2FMalenstyn – Krebs
0:39
PK1DClifton – Samuelsson
0:59
PK2DByram – Power
0:58

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.

Pittsburgh Penguins

PIT skaters
Skater	Line	G	A	P	+/-			Hits	Blk	PIM		PP	SH
Bryan Rust R	L1	0	0	0	-1	5	0.18	0	0	0	23:32	—	—	48	54
Rickard Rakell R	L1	0	1	1	-2	0	0.00	4	0	0	23:16	—	—	40	35
Sidney Crosby C	L1	1	0	1	-1	2	0.24	3	0	2	22:55	—	—	42	37
Blake Lizotte C	L2	1	0	1	-2	2	0.40	2	0	2	19:00	—	—	52	53
Noel Acciari C	L2	0	0	0	-2	0	0.00	2	0	0	16:26	—	—	45	23
Joona Koppanen L	L2	0	0	0	-1	0	0.01	3	1	0	16:08	—	—	47	53
Kevin Hayes R	L3	1	0	1	0	6	0.59	4	0	0	15:13	—	—	65	50
Connor Dewar C	L3	0	0	0	-1	2	0.11	4	0	9	12:31	—	—	62	40
Danton Heinen L	L3	0	0	0	+1	0	0.00	0	0	0	10:52	—	—	73	54
Kris Letang D	D1	0	0	0	-3	3	0.01	3	2	0	23:13	—	—	52	46
Matt Grzelcyk D	D1	0	1	1	-3	1	0.00	0	2	0	23:12	—	—	48	45
Erik Karlsson D	D2	0	0	0	0	2	0.21	0	0	0	19:27	—	—	70	77
Conor Timmins D	D2	0	1	1	+1	1	0.05	1	1	0	18:24	—	—	69	71
Ryan Graves D	D3	0	1	1	0	0	0.00	2	1	0	12:39	—	—	41	25
Vladislav Kolyachonok D	D3	0	0	0	-1	0	0.00	0	0	2	8:30	—	—	30	6
Ryan Shea D	—	0	0	0	-2	0	0.00	0	0	0	11:55	—	—	40	29
Philip Tomasino R	—	0	0	0	-2	1	0.03	0	0	0	8:45	—	—	56	35
Emil Bemstrom C	—	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	0	1	0	4:20	—	—	60	56

PIT goalies
Goalie	Dec	SA	SV	GA			TOI
Alex Nedeljkovic	—	18	15	3	.833	1.28	34:22
Tristan Jarry(start)	L	12	8	4	.667	1.34	25:20

Buffalo Sabres

BUF skaters
Skater	Line	G	A	P	+/-			Hits	Blk	PIM		PP	SH
Tage Thompson C	L1	1	1	2	+2	3	0.39	0	0	0	19:53	—	—	52	87
Jiri Kulich C	L1	2	0	2	+3	4	0.36	1	1	2	19:07	—	—	57	92
Zach Benson L	L1	0	1	1	+3	3	0.19	0	1	2	16:31	—	—	56	90
JJ Peterka R	L2	0	0	0	-1	2	0.37	0	1	0	18:45	—	—	28	38
Ryan McLeod C	L2	0	0	0	-1	1	0.24	0	0	0	16:58	—	—	25	32
Jack Quinn R	L2	0	1	1	0	1	0.17	1	0	0	14:43	—	—	32	34
Alex Tuch R	L3	1	1	2	+2	1	0.13	0	0	0	17:41	—	—	55	47
Peyton Krebs C	L3	1	1	2	+2	2	0.32	0	0	0	15:02	—	—	57	48
Isak Rosen R	L3	0	1	1	+1	2	0.10	1	0	0	11:25	—	—	56	48
Tyson Kozak C	L4	1	1	2	+1	2	0.05	1	0	0	9:07	—	—	50	43
Beck Malenstyn L	L4	0	1	1	0	2	0.08	1	0	0	8:55	—	—	55	49
Josh Dunne C	L4	0	0	0	-1	0	0.00	1	1	0	6:55	—	—	13	1
Bowen Byram D	D1	0	2	2	+2	1	0.00	0	5	0	24:01	—	—	50	52
Connor Clifton D	D1	0	1	1	+2	2	0.03	5	0	2	20:28	—	—	50	57
Rasmus Dahlin D	D2	0	2	2	+1	3	0.10	1	0	2	20:33	—	—	48	52
Mattias Samuelsson D	D2	1	0	1	+1	1	0.08	1	2	0	17:48	—	—	50	52
Owen Power D	D3	0	1	1	+1	0	0.00	0	1	0	17:19	—	—	48	56
Jacob Bernard-Docker D	D3	0	0	0	+1	0	0.01	2	2	5	16:49	—	—	38	62

BUF goalies
Goalie	Dec	SA	SV	GA			TOI
James Reimer(start)	W	25	23	3	.920	1.84	60:00

Goal anatomy

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

Tage Thompson (BUF) 1st 0:27 · assists Zach Benson, Rasmus Dahlin · Odd-man rush · carried in · 3-on-1 at the blue line · 58.8 mph shot · 3.3 s from entry to goal.

Tage Thompson · 1st 0:27 · BUF

Play: odd-man-rush
Entry: carry
Odd man: 3-on-1
Passes: 0
Shot: 58.8 mph
Distance: 23 ft
Entry to goal: 3.3 s

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

Peyton Krebs · 1st 4:44 · BUF

Play: deflection
Passes: 4 (royal road)
Shot: 7.3 mph
Distance: 3 ft
Type: rebound

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

Sidney Crosby · 1st 11:11 · PIT

Play: turnover-forecheck
Entry: carry
Odd man: No
Passes: 0
Shot: 33.1 mph
Distance: 7 ft
Entry to goal: 7.9 s

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

Jiri Kulich · 2nd 3:36 · BUF

Play: turnover-forecheck
Passes: 1
Shot: 41.0 mph
Distance: 23 ft

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

Mattias Samuelsson · 2nd 5:20 · BUF

Play: turnover-forecheck
Passes: 2 (royal road)
Shot: 62.0 mph
Distance: 26 ft

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

Jiri Kulich · 2nd 11:34 · BUF

Play: cycle
Entry: carry
Odd man: No
Passes: 2
Shot: 63.6 mph
Distance: 36 ft
Entry to goal: 9.7 s

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

Tyson Kozak · 2nd 12:02 · BUF

Play: rush
Entry: carry
Odd man: No
Passes: 1 (royal road)
Shot: 19.6 mph
Distance: 28 ft
Entry to goal: 3.6 s

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

Alex Tuch · 2nd 19:34 · BUF

Play: rush
Entry: carry
Odd man: No
Passes: 0
Shot: 79.6 mph
Distance: 34 ft
Entry to goal: 4.6 s

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

Blake Lizotte · 3rd 2:16 · PIT

Play: rebound
Entry: carry
Odd man: No
Passes: 0
Shot: 2.6 mph
Distance: 7 ft
Entry to goal: 4.7 s
Type: rebound

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

Kevin Hayes · 3rd 13:54 · PIT

Play: rebound
Passes: 0
Shot: 11.9 mph
Distance: 3 ft
Type: rebound

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.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Buffalo SabresMar 27, 2025

Fantasy takeaways

Buffalo Sabres rout Pittsburgh Penguins 7–3

Shot map

Shot map

Game flow

Cumulative shot attempts

Shift chart

Shifts

Sequence card

Lines used

Pittsburgh Penguins

Buffalo Sabres

Scoring summary

1st period

2nd period

3rd period

Box score

Pittsburgh Penguins

Buffalo Sabres

Goal anatomy

Tage Thompson · 1st 0:27 · BUF

Peyton Krebs · 1st 4:44 · BUF

Sidney Crosby · 1st 11:11 · PIT

Jiri Kulich · 2nd 3:36 · BUF

Mattias Samuelsson · 2nd 5:20 · BUF

Jiri Kulich · 2nd 11:34 · BUF

Tyson Kozak · 2nd 12:02 · BUF

Alex Tuch · 2nd 19:34 · BUF

Blake Lizotte · 3rd 2:16 · PIT

Kevin Hayes · 3rd 13:54 · PIT