Buffalo Sabres vs. Vancouver CanucksDec 11, 2025

FinalThursday, Dec 11, 2025· Rogers Arena

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Goals	1	2	3	T		Shots	1	2	3	T
BUF	1	2	0	3		BUF	7	6	2	15
VAN	1	1	0	2		VAN	12	8	12	32

: BUF 37VAN 84
: BUF 1.54VAN 3.55
PP goals: BUF 1VAN 1
Hits: BUF 13VAN 22
Blocks: BUF 26VAN 7
PIM: BUF 10VAN 8
: BUF 40%VAN 60%

Fantasy takeaways

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

Buffalo Sabres edge Vancouver Canucks 3–2

Buffalo Sabres beat Vancouver Canucks 3–2 at VAN. Tage Thompson (BUF) led the scoring with 1G 1A. BUF's first power-play unit (Thompson, McLeod, Dahlin, Doan and Benson) scored 1 power-play goal on 2 attempts in 1:42 together.

Points
Rasmus Dahlin had a goal and an assist (2 points) on 3 shots in 24:51.Dahlin
Points
Tage Thompson had a goal and an assist (2 points) on 5 shots in 19:06.Thompson
PP1
BUF's first power-play unit (Thompson, McLeod, Dahlin, Doan and Benson) scored 1 power-play goal on 2 attempts in 1:42 together.Thompson McLeod Dahlin Doan Benson
PP1
VAN's first power-play unit (Boeser, DeBrusk, Garland, Sherwood and Hughes) scored 1 power-play goal on 6 attempts in 4:02 together.Boeser DeBrusk Garland Sherwood Hughes
New line
New look for BUF: Thompson–Krebs–Doan skated 13:08 together at 5v5 as the L1 trio (52.6% of the shot attempts), a combination not used in the team's last 5 games.Thompson Krebs Doan
New line
New look for BUF: McLeod–Quinn–Benson skated 9:35 together at 5v5 as the L2 trio (42.1% of the shot attempts), a combination not used in the team's last 5 games.McLeod Quinn Benson
New line
New look for BUF: Greenway–Rosen–Kozak skated 6:22 together at 5v5 as the L3 trio (31.8% of the shot attempts), a combination not used in the team's last 5 games.Greenway Rosen Kozak
New line
New look for VAN: Hoglander–Räty–Bains skated 5:27 together at 5v5 as the L3 trio (54.5% of the shot attempts), a combination not used in the team's last 5 games.Hoglander Räty Bains

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

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

VAN
BUF
Goal
Shot on goal
Missed
Blocked

Showing 121 of 121 attempts · VAN 84 · BUF 37

Game flow

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

Cumulative shot attempts

VAN
BUF
Goal
Power play (shaded)

Pressure Index

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

: descriptive only, the team with more pressure scored the next goal about half the time. In control: BUF 14% of the game, VAN 50%.

Shift chart

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

Shifts

VAN

BUF

goals / penalties

Even strength
Power play
Penalty kill
Goal
Penalty

Head-to-head matchups

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

Matchup matrix

VAN 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	BUF	VAN
	40	77
	1.49	3.00
	1.46	2.84
	6	12
	4	4
	25	24
	−0.027	+0.027
	14%	50%

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.

Buffalo Sabres

L1Thompson – Krebs – Doan
13:0853% CF
L2McLeod – Quinn – Benson
9:3542% CF
L3Greenway – Rosen – Kozak
6:2232% CF
L4Malenstyn – Kuntar – Dunne
3:4710% CF
D1Samuelsson – Dahlin
13:0730% CF
D2Timmins – Byram
9:3931% CF
D3Bryson – Power
4:5750% CF

PP1Thompson – McLeod – Dahlin – Doan – Benson
1:4267% CF
PP2Byram – Quinn – Dunne – Power – Rosen
0:440% CF
PK1FGreenway – McLeod
1:31
PK2FKozak – Benson
1:07
PK1DTimmins – Samuelsson
2:51
PK2DByram – Power
1:32

Current BUF line combinations →

Vancouver Canucks

L1Boeser – Garland – Kampf
9:3050% CF
L2Kane – Sherwood – O'Connor
8:2870% CF
L3Hoglander – Räty – Bains
5:2755% CF
L4DeBrusk – Karlsson – Sasson
5:2467% CF
D1Hronek – Hughes
15:4363% CF
D2Myers – Pettersson
9:0780% CF
D3Pettersson – Willander
9:0438% CF

PP1Boeser – DeBrusk – Garland – Sherwood – Hughes
4:02100% CF
PP2Kane – DeBrusk – Hronek – Hughes – Hoglander
0:23100% CF
PK1FGarland – Kampf
0:54
PK2FSherwood – O'Connor
0:43
PK1DMyers – Pettersson
1:43
PK2DHronek – Pettersson
0:41

Current VAN line combinations →

Scoring summary

Every goal with the skaters on the ice for it.

1st period

7:36
BUFRasmus Dahlin (Ryan McLeod, Jack Quinn)slap0.08 xG
BUF: McLeod, Samuelsson, Dahlin, Quinn, BensonVAN: Kane, Pettersson, Sherwood, O'Connor, Willander
BUF 1 – 0 VAN
19:49
VANKiefer SherwoodPP (Conor Garland, Quinn Hughes)backhand0.19 xG
BUF: Greenway, Timmins, McLeod, SamuelssonVAN: Boeser, DeBrusk, Garland, Sherwood, Hughes
BUF 1 – 1 VAN

2nd period

6:15
VANMax Sasson (Jake DeBrusk, Elias Pettersson)snap0.19 xG
BUF: Malenstyn, Samuelsson, Byram, Kuntar, DunneVAN: DeBrusk, Hronek, Karlsson, Pettersson, Sasson
BUF 1 – 2 VAN
9:12
BUFTage Thompson (Rasmus Dahlin)wrist0.13 xG
BUF: Thompson, Samuelsson, Dahlin, Krebs, DoanVAN: Boeser, Garland, Hronek, Kampf, Hughes
BUF 2 – 2 VAN
14:46
BUFZach BensonPP (Josh Doan, Tage Thompson)snap0.15 xG
BUF: Thompson, McLeod, Dahlin, Doan, BensonVAN: Myers, Pettersson, Boeser, Kampf
BUF 3 – 2 VAN

Box score

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

Buffalo Sabres

BUF skaters
Skater	Line	G	A	P	+/-			Hits	Blk	PIM		PP	SH
Tage Thompson C	L1	1	1	2	+1	5	0.48	0	2	0	19:06	—	—	50	33
Josh Doan R	L1	0	1	1	+1	1	0.08	0	0	0	18:45	—	—	54	44
Peyton Krebs C	L1	0	0	0	+1	1	0.01	1	1	0	18:43	—	—	48	34
Ryan McLeod C	L2	0	1	1	+1	0	0.00	0	0	0	20:52	—	—	36	28
Zach Benson L	L2	1	0	1	+1	1	0.17	0	0	2	16:13	—	—	38	44
Jack Quinn R	L2	0	1	1	+1	2	0.22	0	1	4	15:39	—	—	38	37
Tyson Kozak C	L3	0	0	0	0	1	0.07	3	5	0	16:45	—	—	31	49
Jordan Greenway L	L3	0	0	0	0	0	0.14	1	2	2	16:01	—	—	28	48
Isak Rosen R	L3	0	0	0	0	0	0.01	0	0	0	8:42	—	—	32	53
Beck Malenstyn L	L4	0	0	0	-1	0	0.00	4	1	2	12:48	—	—	12	0
Josh Dunne C	L4	0	0	0	-1	0	0.00	0	0	0	6:21	—	—	21	8
Trevor Kuntar C	L4	0	0	0	-1	0	0.00	1	0	0	5:12	—	—	14	7
Mattias Samuelsson D	D1	0	0	0	+1	0	0.01	1	1	0	26:32	—	—	31	38
Rasmus Dahlin D	D1	1	1	2	+2	3	0.13	1	3	0	24:51	—	—	34	47
Conor Timmins D	D2	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	1	5	0	21:27	—	—	25	16
Bowen Byram D	D2	0	0	0	-1	0	0.17	0	1	0	20:47	—	—	35	22
Owen Power D	D3	0	0	0	0	1	0.04	0	3	0	19:46	—	—	42	34
Jacob Bryson D	D3	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	0	1	0	5:02	—	—	50	77

BUF goalies
Goalie	Dec	SA	SV	GA			TOI
Alex Lyon(start)	W	32	30	2	.938	3.55	59:56

Vancouver Canucks

VAN skaters
Skater	Line	G	A	P	+/-			Hits	Blk	PIM		PP	SH
Conor Garland R	L1	0	1	1	-1	2	0.17	1	0	0	20:41	—	—	50	62
Brock Boeser R	L1	0	0	0	-1	1	0.18	0	1	0	20:26	—	—	52	53
David Kampf C	L1	0	0	0	-1	1	0.00	0	0	0	14:07	—	—	42	39
Kiefer Sherwood L	L2	1	0	1	-1	2	0.28	2	0	0	19:24	—	—	64	37
Evander Kane L	L2	0	0	0	-1	4	0.15	2	0	0	17:29	—	—	63	49
Drew O'Connor L	L2	0	0	0	-1	2	0.24	0	0	2	12:56	—	—	77	61
Nils Hoglander L	L3	0	0	0	0	1	0.13	2	0	0	13:11	—	—	73	72
Aatu Räty C	L3	0	0	0	0	0	0.24	3	0	0	11:40	—	—	47	55
Arshdeep Bains L	L3	0	0	0	0	0	0.07	0	0	2	9:20	—	—	63	71
Jake DeBrusk L	L4	0	1	1	+1	4	0.69	1	0	0	16:16	—	—	83	92
Max Sasson C	L4	1	0	1	+1	5	0.74	0	0	0	14:46	—	—	80	90
Linus Karlsson C	L4	0	0	0	+1	1	0.20	2	0	0	10:51	—	—	70	91
Quinn Hughes D	D1	0	1	1	-1	3	0.17	0	0	0	30:03	—	—	69	56
Filip Hronek D	D1	0	0	0	0	2	0.09	3	1	2	23:33	—	—	66	61
Tyler Myers D	D2	0	0	0	0	1	0.07	1	2	0	20:06	—	—	78	87
Elias Pettersson D	D2	0	1	1	+1	1	0.05	4	0	0	13:11	—	—	76	87
Marcus Pettersson D	D3	0	0	0	-1	1	0.03	1	1	0	17:25	—	—	54	72
Tom Willander D	D3	0	0	0	-1	1	0.05	0	2	2	12:04	—	—	40	44

VAN goalies
Goalie	Dec	SA	SV	GA			TOI
Thatcher Demko(start)	L	15	12	3	.800	1.54	57:54

Goal anatomy

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

Rasmus Dahlin (BUF) 1st 7:36 · assists Ryan McLeod, Jack Quinn · Odd-man rush · carried in · 3-on-2 at the blue line · 67.3 mph shot · 6.0 s from entry to goal.

Rasmus Dahlin · 1st 7:36 · BUF

Play: odd-man-rush
Entry: carry
Odd man: 3-on-2
Passes: 3
Shot: 67.3 mph
Distance: 38 ft
Entry to goal: 6.0 s
Type: one-timer

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

Kiefer Sherwood · 1st 19:49 · VAN PP

Play: rebound
Passes: 0
Shot: 14.8 mph
Distance: 15 ft
Type: rebound

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

Max Sasson · 2nd 6:15 · VAN

Play: rush
Entry: carry
Odd man: No
Passes: 0
Shot: 32.9 mph
Distance: 13 ft
Entry to goal: 1.9 s

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

Tage Thompson · 2nd 9:12 · BUF

Play: turnover-forecheck
Entry: pass
Odd man: No
Passes: 1
Shot: 65.1 mph
Distance: 37 ft
Entry to goal: 7.6 s

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

Zach Benson · 2nd 14:46 · BUF PP

Play: cycle
Passes: 5
Shot: 24.6 mph
Distance: 20 ft
Type: one-timer

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.