Buffalo Sabres at Vancouver CanucksDec 4, 2026

Time TBDFriday, Dec 4, 2026

away

Buffalo SabresBUF

at

home

Vancouver CanucksVAN

Preview

Probable goalies, start odds, schedule edge and each team's lines from its last game.

Schedule Edge

Edge: VAN +12.1 pts

BUFaway−12.1 pts

Back-to-back · 674 km travel · -1 h

B2B vs rested VAN −9.3 pts
Backup likely (68%) −2.8 pts

VANhome+12.2 pts

2 days rest · 3,792 km travel · -3 h

BUF on a B2B +9.3 pts
BUF backup likely (68%) +2.9 pts

VAN has the schedule edge (+12.1 pts net win probability): buf on a b2b, buf backup likely (68%), b2b vs rested van, backup likely (68%).

· Every game this week →

Buffalo Sabres

Goalie: Starter not announced
Start probability: Alex Lyon34%
Colten Ellis34%
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen33%
Schedule: Second of a back-to-back
Last game: L 3–6 at CBJ · Oct 1

L1Quinn – Ostlund – Benson
11:13
L2Thompson – Norris – Doan
10:19
L3McLeod – Krebs – Helenius
10:05
L4Carrick – Malenstyn – Kulich
6:00
D1Samuelsson – Dahlin
13:10
D2Crevier – Power
10:21
D3Grzelcyk – Metsa
8:13
PP1Thompson – Dahlin – Quinn – Doan – Benson
4:22

Projected BUF lines →·BUF goalies →·Goalie start planner →

Vancouver Canucks

Goalie: Starter not announced
Start probability: Kevin Lankinen86%
Thatcher Demko7%
Leevi Meriläinen7%
Schedule: Rested · plays again tomorrow
Last game: L 7–9 vs EDM · Oct 1

L1Boeser – Cotter – Ohgren
7:27
L2DeBrusk – Pettersson – Karlsson
6:10
L3Gallagher – O'Connor – Sasson
5:37
L4Rossi – Bains – Lekkerimäki
4:31
D1Oleksiak – Willander
10:00
D2Hronek – Buium
7:43
D3Schenn – Pettersson
7:10
PP1Boeser – DeBrusk – Hronek – Pettersson – Rossi
3:15

Projected VAN lines →·VAN goalies →·Goalie start planner →

Game day: all games on Dec 4.

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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.