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Ice Lab

Thu, Feb 29, 2024·Amalie Arena, Tampa

Buffalo Sabres 3, Tampa Bay Lightning 2 (OT)

Expected result

Based on shot quality alone, Tampa Bay Lightning win this game 51% of the time.

TBL winsBUF wins

By period

Goals and shots on goal in each period.

TeamP1P2P3OTTotal
BUF15071912323
TBL18180700223

Goals, with shots on goal in grey.

Scoring

Every goal, with the change it made to the home team's win probability.

  1. P1 8:12TBLBrayden PointPPAssists: Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman · Wrist, 0.23 xG0–1
  2. P1 10:59BUFAlex TuchUnassisted · Wrist, 0.16 xG1–1
  3. P2 17:18TBLMitchell ChaffeeAssists: Erik Cernak, Anthony Cirelli · Tip-in, 0.09 xG1–2
  4. P3 11:33BUFTage ThompsonPPAssists: Rasmus Dahlin · Snap, 0.03 xG2–2
  5. OT 1:42BUFRasmus DahlinPPGWGAssists: Casey Mittelstadt, Jordan Greenway · Wrist, 0.26 xG3–2
Penalties (6)
  1. P1 7:50BUFJordan Greenway: Hooking2 min · PPG
  2. P2 12:30BUFCasey Mittelstadt: Elbowing2 min
  3. P3 10:21TBLBrayden Point: High sticking2 min · PPG
  4. P3 13:10BUFZach Benson: Tripping2 min
  5. P3 16:34TBLVictor Hedman: Hooking2 min
  6. OT 1:16TBLNikita Kucherov: Hooking2 min · PPG

Replay

Watch the game unfold on the ice: every shot, hit, turnover and faceoff appears as it happened, then fades. Drag the timeline to jump; goals are marked on it.

BUF00 SOG · 0.0 xG

20:00

P1

0.0 xG · 0 SOG0TBL
46% to win54% to win
← BUF attackTBL attack →
  1. P1 20:00Cozens won the faceoff against Cirelli
  • Goal
  • Shot
  • Miss
  • Block
  • Hit
  • Takeaway
  • Giveaway
  • Faceoff
  • Penalty

The numbers

Team totals, side by side.

BUFTBL
23Shots on goal23
2.1Expected goals2.2
52Shot attempts45
20Faceoffs won27
3Power plays3
6Penalty minutes6
31Hits28
11Blocked shots20
3Giveaways4
10Takeaways5

Line combinations that worked

Model-based

Each team's forward lines and defence pairs at 5-on-5 (two minutes or more together), best first by expected goals for minus against.

Buffalo Sabres

Forward lines

  1. bestGirgensons – Robinson – Krebs8:22

    xG 0.16–0.08 (67%)attempts 9–3goals 0–0

  2. Girgensons – Mittelstadt – Robinson4:08

    xG 0.16–0.11 (59%)attempts 5–3goals 0–0

  3. Okposo – Skinner – Mittelstadt7:39

    xG 0.09–0.22 (29%)attempts 5–5goals 0–0

  4. Cozens – Peterka – Benson9:05

    xG 0.09–0.33 (21%)attempts 7–7goals 0–1

Defence pairs

  1. bestDahlin – Power2:54

    xG 0.13–0.00 (100%)attempts 4–2goals 0–0

  2. Clifton – Johnson10:38

    xG 0.15–0.27 (36%)attempts 7–5goals 0–0

  3. Bryson – Power14:21

    xG 0.46–0.75 (38%)attempts 12–12goals 0–0

Tampa Bay Lightning

Forward lines

  1. bestKucherov – Point – Hagel10:18

    xG 0.91–0.34 (73%)attempts 11–8goals 0–1

  2. Stamkos – Paul – Hagel2:51

    xG 0.21–0.04 (84%)attempts 3–3goals 0–0

  3. Cirelli – Eyssimont – Chaffee8:22

    xG 0.19–0.12 (60%)attempts 5–8goals 1–0

  4. Stamkos – Kucherov – Paul4:11

    xG 0.11–0.19 (37%)attempts 2–6goals 0–0

Defence pairs

  1. bestHedman – Raddysh9:32

    xG 0.74–0.29 (72%)attempts 11–7goals 0–0

  2. de Haan – Perbix12:09

    xG 0.54–0.38 (59%)attempts 6–12goals 0–0

  3. Fleury – Cernak13:50

    xG 0.25–0.15 (62%)attempts 9–12goals 1–0

How the game flowed

Model-based

Chance quality for each side, minute by minute, with pressure underneath.

Expected goals flow

Running total of expected goals for each team. Steep climbs are spells of pressure; dots are goals. Shaded bands mark power plays (team colour), 4-on-4 or 3-on-3 (grey) and empty nets.

TBL 2.2 xGBUF 2.1 xG
00.511.52P1P2P3OTEndxG

Tempo: attempts, hits and takeaways per minute

TBLBUF

Win probability

Model-based

How each goal and each minute changed the likely winner.

Win probability

TBL's chance of winning through the game. Above the middle line TBL is favoured, below it BUF. Dots are goals.

Excitement 81/100 · #308 of 1312 this seasonSwing 2.18 · 5 goals in reachComeback index 16% (winner's lowest chance)
BUF 100%5050%50TBL 100%P1P2P3OTEndBiggest swing +30 pts

Did the better team win?

Every shot replayed 10,000 times, scoring with its expected-goal probability.

Based on shot quality alone, Tampa Bay Lightning win this game 51% of the time.

TBL winsBUF wins

Simulated goal difference (TBL − BUF), 10,000 replays

-7
-6
-5
-4
-3
-2
-1
0
+1
+2
+3
+4
+5
+6
+7

The outlined bar is the actual result (excluding the shootout).