Buffalo Sabres vs. New York RangersApr 8, 2026

FinalWednesday, Apr 8, 2026· Madison Square Garden

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Goals	1	2	3	T		Shots	1	2	3	T
BUF	2	0	3	5		BUF	11	8	8	27
NYR	1	2	0	3		NYR	12	7	1	20

: BUF 52NYR 53
: BUF 3.98NYR 2.36
PP goals: BUF 0NYR 2
Hits: BUF 19NYR 26
Blocks: BUF 19NYR 11
PIM: BUF 6NYR 8
: BUF 44%NYR 56%

Fantasy takeaways

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

Buffalo Sabres beat New York Rangers 5–3

Buffalo Sabres beat New York Rangers 5–3 at NYR. Zach Benson (BUF) led the scoring with 2G 0A. NYR's first power-play unit (Trocheck, Zibanejad, Miller, Fox and Lafrenière) scored 2 power-play goals on 4 attempts in 2:07 together.

Points
Alexis Lafrenière had two goals (2 points) on 2 shots in 15:07.Lafrenière
Points
Zach Benson had two goals (2 points) on 3 shots in 12:59.Benson
Points
Adam Fox had a goal and an assist (2 points) on 1 shot in 23:20.Fox
Points
Jason Zucker had a goal and an assist (2 points) on 4 shots in 18:14.Zucker
Points
Ryan McLeod had a goal and an assist (2 points) on 2 shots in 17:10.McLeod
PP1
NYR's first power-play unit (Trocheck, Zibanejad, Miller, Fox and Lafrenière) scored 2 power-play goals on 4 attempts in 2:07 together.Trocheck Zibanejad Miller Fox Lafrenière
New line
New look for BUF: Pearson–Malenstyn–Kozak skated 7:26 together at 5v5 as the L4 trio (33.3% of the shot attempts), a combination not used in the team's last 5 games.Pearson Malenstyn Kozak
Usage
Tage Thompson (BUF) played 22:18, +3:06 up on his 19:12 season average over 80 games.Thompson

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)NYR attacks right (top on phones) →

NYR
BUF
Goal
Shot on goal
Missed
Blocked

Showing 105 of 105 attempts · NYR 53 · BUF 52

Game flow

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

Cumulative shot attempts

NYR
BUF
Goal
Power play (shaded)

Pressure Index

NYR 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 26% of the game, NYR 32%.

Shift chart

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

Shifts

NYR

BUF

goals / penalties

Even strength
Power play
Penalty kill
Goal
Penalty

Head-to-head matchups

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

Matchup matrix

NYR 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	NYR
	49	52
	2.41	2.01
	2.29	1.88
	11	10
	5	4
	19	25
	−0.028	+0.028
	26%	32%

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

L1Tuch – Thompson – Krebs
13:0658% CF
L2Zucker – McLeod – Quinn
11:2750% CF
L3Norris – Doan – Benson
8:1838% CF
L4Pearson – Malenstyn – Kozak
7:2633% CF
D1Samuelsson – Dahlin
8:3938% CF
D2Byram – Power
7:5244% CF
D3Timmins – Kesselring
1:320% CF

PP1Zucker – Thompson – Norris – Dahlin – Quinn
4:3291% CF
PP2Tuch – McLeod – Byram – Doan – Benson
0:52
PK1FTuch – Malenstyn
0:57
PK2FKozak – Benson
0:27
PK1DTimmins – Samuelsson
1:13

Current BUF line combinations →

New York Rangers

L1Miller – Sheary – Kartye
10:5444% CF
L2Chmelar – Sykora – Laba
9:4235% CF
L3Trocheck – Brodzinski – Cuylle
9:1879% CF
L4Zibanejad – Lafrenière – Perreault
9:0654% CF
D1Gavrikov – Fox
15:5058% CF
D2Borgen – Robertson
11:4650% CF
D3Schneider – Fortescue
11:3165% CF

PP1Trocheck – Zibanejad – Miller – Fox – Lafrenière
2:07100% CF
PK1FMiller – Kartye
1:07
PK2FTrocheck – Zibanejad
0:40
PK1DGavrikov – Schneider
3:08
PK2DBorgen – Fox
0:45

Current NYR 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.

Buffalo Sabres

BUF skaters
Skater	Line	G	A	P	+/-			Hits	Blk	PIM		PP	SH
Tage Thompson C	L1	0	1	1	+1	2	0.37	1	1	0	22:18	—	—	59	39
Alex Tuch R	L1	1	0	1	+1	1	0.14	0	2	0	19:05	—	—	57	41
Peyton Krebs C	L1	0	1	1	+1	2	0.04	3	1	2	15:04	—	—	60	39
Jack Quinn R	L2	0	0	0	+2	1	0.25	0	0	0	19:24	—	—	50	76
Jason Zucker L	L2	1	1	2	+2	4	0.94	0	1	0	18:14	—	—	53	76
Ryan McLeod C	L2	1	1	2	+1	2	0.11	0	1	2	17:10	—	—	52	62
Josh Norris C	L3	0	1	1	+2	2	0.32	0	2	2	14:46	—	—	39	68
Josh Doan R	L3	0	1	1	+1	1	0.16	0	0	0	13:08	—	—	50	58
Zach Benson L	L3	2	0	2	+1	3	1.36	0	1	0	12:59	—	—	42	58
Tyson Kozak C	L4	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	3	2	0	10:50	—	—	39	8
Beck Malenstyn L	L4	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	5	0	0	10:15	—	—	33	3
Tanner Pearson L	L4	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	3	0	0	8:52	—	—	31	3
Rasmus Dahlin D	D1	0	1	1	+2	2	0.19	0	1	0	24:30	—	—	56	80
Mattias Samuelsson D	D1	0	0	0	+1	0	0.01	3	1	0	20:39	—	—	50	54
Bowen Byram D	D2	0	1	1	+1	2	0.05	0	1	0	22:07	—	—	61	58
Owen Power D	D2	0	0	0	+1	1	0.02	0	1	0	20:09	—	—	42	16
Conor Timmins D	D3	0	1	1	+2	1	0.01	0	4	0	16:26	—	—	33	68
Michael Kesselring D	D3	0	0	0	+1	3	0.03	1	0	0	10:37	—	—	46	40

BUF goalies
Goalie	Dec	SA	SV	GA			TOI
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen(start)	W	20	17	3	.850	2.36	60:00

New York Rangers

NYR skaters
Skater	Line	G	A	P	+/-			Hits	Blk	PIM		PP	SH
J.T. Miller C	L1	0	1	1	-1	3	0.34	0	1	0	20:51	—	—	46	77
Tye Kartye L	L1	0	0	0	0	1	0.27	0	0	0	16:07	—	—	48	70
Conor Sheary L	L1	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	12:28	—	—	45	70
Noah Laba C	L2	0	0	0	-1	1	0.13	1	1	0	13:33	—	—	39	43
Adam Sykora L	L2	0	0	0	-1	1	0.02	0	1	0	11:16	—	—	39	43
Jaroslav Chmelar R	L2	0	0	0	-1	0	0.00	1	0	0	11:15	—	—	39	43
Vincent Trocheck C	L3	0	1	1	-1	0	0.00	3	1	2	18:48	—	—	70	52
Will Cuylle L	L3	0	0	0	-2	3	0.34	8	1	0	15:46	—	—	59	22
Jonny Brodzinski C	L3	0	0	0	-1	1	0.14	1	0	0	12:03	—	—	67	31
Mika Zibanejad C	L4	0	1	1	-3	2	0.34	1	1	0	18:44	—	—	45	31
Alexis Lafrenière L	L4	2	0	2	-2	2	0.40	0	0	0	15:07	—	—	53	44
Gabe Perreault R	L4	0	0	0	-1	0	0.12	1	1	0	12:09	—	—	56	49
Vladislav Gavrikov D	D1	0	0	0	-1	1	0.07	1	0	2	24:41	—	—	49	68
Adam Fox D	D1	1	1	2	-1	1	0.11	1	0	2	23:20	—	—	55	78
Matthew Robertson D	D2	0	0	0	-1	1	0.01	1	1	0	15:52	—	—	43	39
Will Borgen D	D2	0	0	0	-1	0	0.00	1	1	2	15:24	—	—	47	44
Braden Schneider D	D3	0	0	0	-2	3	0.07	5	2	0	22:35	—	—	50	19
Drew Fortescue D	D3	0	1	1	-1	0	0.01	1	0	0	13:34	—	—	55	33

NYR goalies
Goalie	Dec	SA	SV	GA			TOI
Igor Shesterkin(start)	L	26	22	4	.846	3.04	58:27

Goal anatomy

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

Ryan McLeod (BUF) 1st 4:40 · assists Jason Zucker, Conor Timmins · Dump and chase · dumped in · 2-on-1 at the blue line · 51.9 mph shot · 2.2 s from entry to goal.

Ryan McLeod · 1st 4:40 · BUF

Play: dump-and-chase
Entry: dump
Odd man: 2-on-1
Passes: 1
Shot: 51.9 mph
Distance: 28 ft
Entry to goal: 2.2 s

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

Zach Benson · 1st 8:58 · BUF

Play: deflection
Passes: 2 (royal road)
Shot: 26.9 mph
Distance: 3 ft
Type: one-timer

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

Alexis Lafrenière · 1st 19:21 · NYR PP

Play: deflection
Passes: 2
Shot: 38.0 mph
Distance: 6 ft
Type: deflection, rebound

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

Alexis Lafrenière · 2nd 2:57 · NYR

Play: odd-man-rush
Entry: pass
Odd man: 1-on-0
Passes: 1
Shot: 66.1 mph
Distance: 27 ft
Entry to goal: 1.7 s

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

Adam Fox · 2nd 14:44 · NYR PP

Play: cycle
Passes: 4 (royal road)
Shot: 59.4 mph
Distance: 34 ft

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

Alex Tuch · 3rd 5:51 · BUF

Play: deflection
Passes: 1
Shot: 59.9 mph
Distance: 16 ft
Type: deflection

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

Jason Zucker · 3rd 7:14 · BUF

Play: rebound
Passes: 0
Shot: 10.0 mph
Distance: 1 ft
Type: rebound

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

Zach Benson · 3rd 18:45 · BUF EN

Play: odd-man-rush
Entry: loose
Odd man: 2-on-0
Passes: 0
Shot: 33.9 mph
Distance: 8 ft
Entry to goal: 3.2 s

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.

Buffalo Sabres vs. New York RangersApr 8, 2026

Fantasy takeaways

Buffalo Sabres beat New York Rangers 5–3

Shot map

Shot map

Game flow

Cumulative shot attempts

Shift chart

Shifts

Head-to-head matchups

Matchup matrix

Sequence card

Lines used

Buffalo Sabres

New York Rangers

Scoring summary

1st period

2nd period

3rd period

Box score

Buffalo Sabres

New York Rangers

Goal anatomy

Ryan McLeod · 1st 4:40 · BUF

Zach Benson · 1st 8:58 · BUF

Alexis Lafrenière · 1st 19:21 · NYR PP

Alexis Lafrenière · 2nd 2:57 · NYR

Adam Fox · 2nd 14:44 · NYR PP

Alex Tuch · 3rd 5:51 · BUF

Jason Zucker · 3rd 7:14 · BUF

Zach Benson · 3rd 18:45 · BUF EN