hockeystats.io

New Jersey DevilsNJD 5–0 Final Buffalo SabresBUF

Friday, November 28, 2025

Final 1st2nd3rd T SOG
New Jersey DevilsNJD 113 5 23
Buffalo SabresBUF 000 0 42

No impact calculated for this game. Impacts are calculated for games in the next 7 days.

Highlights

Scoring

1st Period
12:07 NJD Nico Hischier (9) Timo Meier (12) · snap xG 0.34 1–0 ▶
2nd Period
7:45 NJD Arseny Gritsyuk (5) Ondrej Palat (2), Dawson Mercer (9) · wrist xG 0.24 2–0 ▶
3rd Period
1:39 NJD Brenden Dillon (3) Connor Brown (3), Paul Cotter (4) · slap xG 0.05 3–0 ▶
5:22 NJD Paul Cotter (2) Brenden Dillon (6) · backhand xG 0.22 4–0 ▶
16:49 NJD Arseny Gritsyuk (6) Ondrej Palat (3) · wrist xG 0.17 5–0 ▶

Score away–home after each goal; season totals in parentheses.

Shot quality

Expected goals (xG) rate every unblocked shot by how often shots like it go in, from where it was taken, the shot type, the strength and what happened just before it. How it works

NJD 28%Deserve to win72% BUF
NJDBUF
2.30Expected goals3.62
5Goals (no shootout)0
2.18Expected goals, 5 on 53.23
38Shot attempts88
29Unblocked attempts64
23Shots on goal42

Game notes

What stood out as the game went on, from the play-by-play and the shifts. Time on the bench is counted in 5-on-5 play outside the penalty box; the note says the player sat, not why. Goals saved are against the shots' expected goals (xG).

2nd Period
7:45 NJD Deserve to win Deserve to win · NJD takes the lead, 61–39%
BUF had led since 4:01 of the 1st, by as much as 66%
3rd Period
4:07 NJD Goalie Goalie · Allen +2.1 goals saved
0 goals on 2.05 xG, 28 shots on goal
5:22 BUF Goalie Goalie · Lyon −2.1 goals saved
4 goals on 1.91 xG, 20 shots on goal
6:28 BUF Deserve to win Deserve to win · BUF takes the lead, 63–37%
NJD had led since 7:45 of the 2nd, by as much as 61%
15:30 BUF xG swing xG swing · Out-chanced NJD 1.26–0.23
In xG over 10 minutes, 5:30 to 15:30 of the 3rd; neither team scored
18:00 BUF No shift No shift · Samuelsson, 11:02 on the bench
No shift after 7:58 of the 3rd; 22 shifts (17:42) before that

Shot map

NJD shoots ←Bigger circle: higher xG; filled: goal→ BUF shoots
Ryan McLeod: wrist, 37 ft, xG 0.05 (P1 0:40) Connor Brown: wrist, 39 ft, xG 0.01 (P1 2:20) Alex Tuch: wrist, 40 ft, xG 0.01 (P1 2:29) Ryan McLeod: snap, 16 ft, xG 0.15 (P1 3:17) Beck Malenstyn: slap, 29 ft, xG 0.13 (P1 4:01) Jacob Bryson: wrist, 54 ft, xG 0.02 (P1 4:14) Dougie Hamilton: wrist, 47 ft, xG 0.01 (P1 4:41) Mattias Samuelsson: wrist, 56 ft, xG 0.02 (P1 5:15) Connor Brown: wrist, 29 ft, xG 0.06 (P1 5:29) Nico Hischier: wrist, 45 ft, xG 0.03 (P1 5:48) Alex Tuch: wrist, 33 ft, xG 0.06 (P1 6:07) Jesper Bratt: wrist, 37 ft, xG 0.06 (P1 6:17) Arseny Gritsyuk: tip-in, 28 ft, xG 0.02 (P1 6:59) Dougie Hamilton: wrist, 43 ft, xG 0.01 (P1 7:13) Mattias Samuelsson: wrist, 56 ft, xG 0.02 (P1 7:56) Mattias Samuelsson: wrist, 151 ft, xG 0.00 (P1 10:37) Rasmus Dahlin: wrist, 38 ft, xG 0.05 (P1 12:53) Cody Glass: wrist, 45 ft, xG 0.03 (P1 13:13) Conor Timmins: slap, 62 ft, xG 0.02 (P1 13:48) Jack Quinn: tip-in, 17 ft, xG 0.08 (P1 14:01) Dawson Mercer: wrist, 33 ft, xG 0.09 (P1 15:23) Paul Cotter: wrist, 20 ft, xG 0.11 (P1 15:59) Owen Power: wrist, 35 ft, xG 0.02 (P1 17:25) Brenden Dillon: slap, 64 ft, xG 0.02 (P2 2:17) Zach Benson: wrist, 28 ft, xG 0.06 (P2 2:57) Mattias Samuelsson: wrist, 51 ft, xG 0.01 (P2 3:04) Mattias Samuelsson: wrist, 52 ft, xG 0.01 (P2 3:18) Timo Meier: snap, 37 ft, xG 0.06 (P2 3:30) Peyton Krebs: wrist, 40 ft, xG 0.01 (P2 4:12) Ryan McLeod: wrist, 51 ft, xG 0.04 (P2 4:31) Owen Power: wrist, 55 ft, xG 0.02 (P2 4:48) Owen Power: slap, 62 ft, xG 0.00 (P2 4:52) Alex Tuch: wrist, 37 ft, xG 0.04 (P2 6:09) Dawson Mercer: tip-in, 7 ft, xG 0.10 (P2 7:40) Noah Ostlund: deflected, 9 ft, xG 0.10 (P2 7:55) Tyson Kozak: bat, 12 ft, xG 0.16 (P2 7:57) Rasmus Dahlin: wrist, 56 ft, xG 0.03 (P2 8:59) Jason Zucker: wrist, 7 ft, xG 0.05 (P2 9:08) Rasmus Dahlin: slap, 42 ft, xG 0.07 (P2 9:19) Tage Thompson: wrist, 34 ft, xG 0.04 (P2 9:48) Alex Tuch: wrist, 19 ft, xG 0.08 (P2 10:15) Alex Tuch: tip-in, 40 ft, xG 0.02 (P2 10:29) Cody Glass: slap, 43 ft, xG 0.04 (P2 11:02) Beck Malenstyn: tip-in, 6 ft, xG 0.10 (P2 11:34) Tyson Kozak: wrist, 23 ft, xG 0.08 (P2 11:59) Bowen Byram: wrist, 8 ft, xG 0.04 (P2 12:00) Arseny Gritsyuk: wrist, 64 ft, xG 0.01 (P2 12:42) Arseny Gritsyuk: snap, 58 ft, xG 0.02 (P2 12:47) Dawson Mercer: backhand, 7 ft, xG 0.15 (P2 12:49) Tage Thompson: wrist, 49 ft, xG 0.01 (P2 13:04) Dawson Mercer: poke, 11 ft, xG 0.12 (P2 14:46) Jason Zucker: wrist, 10 ft, xG 0.09 (P2 16:03) Jason Zucker: tip-in, 11 ft, xG 0.11 (P2 16:12) Mattias Samuelsson: wrist, 37 ft, xG 0.01 (P2 18:13) Beck Malenstyn: wrist, 52 ft, xG 0.01 (P2 18:57) Peyton Krebs: bat, 10 ft, xG 0.03 (P2 18:58) Luke Hughes: wrist, 28 ft, xG 0.09 (P2 19:44) Simon Nemec: wrist, 43 ft, xG 0.02 (P3 0:38) Ryan McLeod: wrist, 5 ft, xG 0.06 (P3 1:01) Noah Ostlund: wrist, 52 ft, xG 0.01 (P3 2:22) Owen Power: wrist, 25 ft, xG 0.05 (P3 2:34) Rasmus Dahlin: backhand, 22 ft, xG 0.02 (P3 3:18) Owen Power: slap, 35 ft, xG 0.05 (P3 4:07) Noah Ostlund: slap, 30 ft, xG 0.02 (P3 4:08) Alex Tuch: wrist, 65 ft, xG 0.01 (P3 4:21) Rasmus Dahlin: wrist, 31 ft, xG 0.05 (P3 4:59) Jack Quinn: wrist, 29 ft, xG 0.11 (P3 6:26) Jason Zucker: poke, 5 ft, xG 0.34 (P3 6:28) Josh Doan: tip-in, 8 ft, xG 0.08 (P3 7:10) Josh Doan: backhand, 6 ft, xG 0.10 (P3 7:14) Josh Doan: backhand, 64 ft, xG 0.01 (P3 7:30) Noah Ostlund: wrist, 16 ft, xG 0.04 (P3 9:08) Owen Power: wrist, 45 ft, xG 0.01 (P3 9:17) Timo Meier: wrist, 58 ft, xG 0.02 (P3 9:40) Jack Quinn: backhand, 16 ft, xG 0.07 (P3 9:55) Rasmus Dahlin: wrist, 46 ft, xG 0.03 (P3 11:10) Conor Timmins: snap, 65 ft, xG 0.01 (P3 11:21) Jesper Bratt: snap, 23 ft, xG 0.17 (P3 11:46) Rasmus Dahlin: wrist, 32 ft, xG 0.03 (P3 12:30) Zach Benson: slap, 50 ft, xG 0.03 (P3 12:40) Arseny Gritsyuk: wrist, 54 ft, xG 0.02 (P3 14:00) Jonas Siegenthaler: slap, 57 ft, xG 0.02 (P3 14:05) Alex Tuch: snap, 50 ft, xG 0.01 (P3 14:18) Alex Tuch: tip-in, 7 ft, xG 0.13 (P3 14:28) Rasmus Dahlin: slap, 54 ft, xG 0.04 (P3 15:05) Tage Thompson: snap, 7 ft, xG 0.22 (P3 15:15) Conor Timmins: wrist, 64 ft, xG 0.01 (P3 16:38) Jason Zucker: poke, 4 ft, xG 0.22 (P3 16:40) Nico Hischier: GOAL, snap, 8 ft, xG 0.34 (P1 12:07) Arseny Gritsyuk: GOAL, wrist, 7 ft, xG 0.24 (P2 7:45) Brenden Dillon: GOAL, slap, 40 ft, xG 0.05 (P3 1:39) Paul Cotter: GOAL, backhand, 7 ft, xG 0.22 (P3 5:22) Arseny Gritsyuk: GOAL, wrist, 14 ft, xG 0.17 (P3 16:49)
About these numbers

xG comes from hockeystats.io's own model, a gradient-boosted tree model trained on every unblocked shot from the 2021-22 to 2025-26 regular seasons using the NHL's public play-by-play. Each shot's value is the share of similar shots that became goals. A team's xG is the sum over its shots; "deserve to win" asks how often the team would outscore its opponent if every shot went in at exactly that rate. Blocked shots count as attempts but have no xG (the NHL records where they were blocked, not where they were taken), so the map leaves them out.

Box score

New Jersey Devils

Skater GAP+/− AttxG HitBlkTOI
Forwards
63 Jesper Bratt 000 +1 20.24 0019:19
28 Timo Meier 011 +1 20.08 4218:43
16 Connor Brown 011 +2 20.07 0318:05
13 Nico Hischier 101 +1 20.37 1016:58
47 Paul Cotter 112 +2 20.33 2016:03
91 Dawson Mercer 011 +2 70.46 0115:55
81 Arseny Gritsyuk 202 +2 60.47 0014:00
12 Cody Glass 000 +2 20.07 0013:28
41 Luke Glendening 000 0 00.00 0213:07
81 Ondrej Palat 022 +2 00.00 1212:36
83 Juho Lammikko 000 0 00.00 1209:29
11 Stefan Noesen 000 0 10.00 0009:18
Defense
71 Jonas Siegenthaler 000 +1 10.02 7023:50
43 Luke Hughes 000 +1 30.09 0222:39
7 Dougie Hamilton 000 +1 30.01 2121:42
71 Simon Nemec 000 +1 10.02 0219:06
5 Brenden Dillon 112 +3 40.07 2118:47
6 Colton White 000 +3 00.00 0212:55
Goalie SAGA SVSV% xGA GSAx
Jake Allen 42042 1.000 3.62 +3.62

Buffalo Sabres

Skater GAP+/− AttxG HitBlkTOI
Forwards
89 Alex Tuch 000 -1 90.36 3117:57
71 Ryan McLeod 000 -3 50.30 0117:43
22 Jack Quinn 000 -3 40.26 1117:12
91 Josh Doan 000 -1 40.19 1016:55
72 Tage Thompson 000 -1 50.27 2016:54
17 Jason Zucker 000 -3 80.81 0116:22
6 Zach Benson 000 -1 40.08 1015:52
48 Tyson Kozak 000 -1 20.25 3213:56
86 Noah Ostlund 000 -1 50.17 0013:46
19 Peyton Krebs 000 0 30.04 1012:52
29 Beck Malenstyn 000 0 30.24 3110:39
12 Jordan Greenway 000 0 20.00 2009:46
Defense
26 Rasmus Dahlin 000 -2 120.31 3026:03
25 Owen Power 000 -1 100.16 0022:57
24 Bowen Byram 000 -2 10.04 0019:43
23 Mattias Samuelsson 000 -2 60.07 3117:42
21 Conor Timmins 000 -2 30.04 1117:34
78 Jacob Bryson 000 -1 20.02 0014:07
Goalie SAGA SVSV% xGA GSAx
Alex Lyon 23518 .783 2.30 -2.70

Skaters by time on ice. Goalie lines count shots with the goalie in net, from the NHL play-by-play.

Player ratings

What each player added to the result, in goals, from most to least. Hover a number for what it's made of.

New Jersey Devils

Player Rating Points Shots On ice Pen FO Other GSAx TOI
34 Jake Allen G +3.62 0.00 — — 0.00 — — +3.62 60:00
5 Brenden Dillon D +2.03 +1.45 +0.04 +0.51 0.00 0.00 +0.03 — 18:47
81 Arseny Gritsyuk R +1.71 +1.50 +0.31 +0.09 -0.15 0.00 -0.04 — 14:00
18 Ondrej Palat L +1.48 +1.40 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 +0.08 — 12:36
47 Paul Cotter L +1.44 +1.30 +0.21 -0.06 0.00 0.00 -0.02 — 16:03
13 Nico Hischier C +1.25 +0.75 +0.24 +0.19 0.00 +0.05 +0.02 — 16:58
28 Timo Meier R +0.88 +0.70 +0.05 +0.04 0.00 0.00 +0.08 — 18:43
16 Connor Brown R +0.82 +0.70 +0.05 -0.07 0.00 0.00 +0.15 — 18:05
91 Dawson Mercer C +0.60 +0.55 +0.30 -0.29 0.00 -0.01 +0.05 — 15:55
45 Colton White D +0.53 0.00 0.00 +0.43 0.00 0.00 +0.10 — 12:55
63 Jesper Bratt L +0.42 0.00 +0.15 +0.12 +0.15 0.00 0.00 — 19:19
71 Jonas Siegenthaler D +0.13 0.00 +0.01 +0.14 0.00 0.00 -0.02 — 23:50
7 Dougie Hamilton D +0.07 0.00 +0.01 +0.07 0.00 0.00 -0.01 — 21:42
12 Cody Glass C +0.06 0.00 +0.04 +0.14 -0.15 +0.03 0.00 — 13:28
83 Juho Lammikko C -0.28 0.00 0.00 -0.39 0.00 -0.01 +0.12 — 9:29
14 Luke Glendening C -0.31 0.00 0.00 -0.43 0.00 +0.02 +0.10 — 13:07
11 Stefan Noesen R -0.55 0.00 0.00 -0.52 0.00 -0.01 -0.02 — 9:18
43 Luke Hughes D -0.82 0.00 +0.06 -0.96 0.00 0.00 +0.08 — 22:39
17 Simon Nemec D -0.86 0.00 +0.01 -0.98 0.00 0.00 +0.10 — 19:06

Buffalo Sabres

Player Rating Points Shots On ice Pen FO Other GSAx TOI
25 Owen Power D +1.14 0.00 +0.10 +1.03 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 22:57
78 Jacob Bryson D +0.93 0.00 +0.01 +0.92 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 14:07
6 Zach Benson L +0.91 0.00 +0.05 +0.88 0.00 0.00 -0.02 — 15:52
48 Tyson Kozak C +0.79 0.00 +0.16 +0.47 0.00 +0.04 +0.12 — 13:56
86 Noah Ostlund C +0.75 0.00 +0.11 +0.52 +0.15 -0.03 0.00 — 13:46
17 Jason Zucker L +0.52 0.00 +0.53 -0.05 0.00 +0.01 +0.03 — 16:22
29 Beck Malenstyn L +0.47 0.00 +0.16 +0.31 0.00 0.00 +0.01 — 10:39
12 Jordan Greenway L +0.32 0.00 0.00 +0.32 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 9:46
71 Ryan McLeod C +0.30 0.00 +0.19 +0.08 0.00 0.00 +0.03 — 17:43
19 Peyton Krebs C +0.24 0.00 +0.03 +0.29 0.00 -0.03 -0.04 — 12:52
21 Conor Timmins D +0.19 0.00 +0.03 +0.13 0.00 0.00 +0.03 — 17:34
4 Bowen Byram D +0.16 0.00 +0.03 +0.17 0.00 0.00 -0.04 — 19:43
22 Jack Quinn R +0.08 0.00 +0.17 +0.03 -0.15 0.00 +0.03 — 17:12
91 Josh Doan R -0.20 0.00 +0.13 -0.32 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 16:55
26 Rasmus Dahlin D -0.24 0.00 +0.20 -0.44 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 26:03
89 Alex Tuch R -0.45 0.00 +0.23 -0.71 0.00 0.00 +0.03 — 17:57
72 Tage Thompson C -0.50 0.00 +0.18 -0.61 0.00 -0.06 0.00 — 16:54
23 Mattias Samuelsson D -0.97 0.00 +0.05 -1.02 0.00 0.00 +0.01 — 17:42
34 Alex Lyon G -2.55 0.00 — — +0.15 — — -2.70 60:00

An expected-goals take on Dom Luszczyszyn's Game Score: goals and assists, the quality of a player's own shots, shot quality for and against while they were on the ice at 5v5, penalties, faceoffs and puck plays, all in goals; goalies by goals saved above expected. From the NHL play-by-play and shift charts.