Buffalo Sabres at New York Islanders: game preview
BuffaloSabres2026-27: 2-1-0 · 4 pts · 2025-26: 50-23-9 · 109 pts · 4that
NY IslandersIslanders2026-27: 1-2-0 · 2 pts · 2025-26: 43-34-5 · 91 pts · 19thEighteen points apart last season
Buffalo finished last season 4th in the league on 109 points. NY Islanders finished 19th on 91.
Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.
Meeting number 222
Across 221 completed games, Buffalo lead the head-to-head 113-92-16.
Last 5 meetings
See all: Last 5 meetings →The table on each 2025-26 meeting night
League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 20 Dec 2025, Buffalo were 23rd in the league and NY Islanders 10th. By 31 Mar 2026 it was 3rd and 10th.
NY Islanders out-attempted Buffalo 172 to 167
Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.
Buffalo Sabres
New York Islanders
Buffalo have created the better chances, last 10 games
Shot quality both ways: expected goals weigh every unblocked attempt by its chance of scoring. Finishing above zero means more goals than the chances.
This season: 3 games for Buffalo, 3 for NY Islanders. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.
Last 10 games: 10 games for Buffalo, 10 for NY Islanders.
2025-26: 82 games for Buffalo, 82 for NY Islanders.
Power play and penalty kill, season and series
This season's rates first, then 2025-26 and the last meetings between the two. Power-play chances are counted from the penalty log with coincidental minors cancelled; faceoffs are each club's wins over draws taken.
All bars share one scale · 0–100%SeasonLast meetings
Buffalo
Small sampleNY Islanders
Small sampleSkaters to watch
Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away.
Who has stopped this matchup
Save percentage in the last meetings by goalie. Starters are confirmed on game day.
Expected starter after their game on 18 Jan: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.
Expected starter after their game on 18 Jan: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.
Buffalo crease
BUF · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 17 Jan
No appearances against NY Islanders in the last meetings.
NY Islanders crease
NYI · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 17 Jan
No appearances against Buffalo in the last meetings.
Scoring rates point to about 6.1 goals
No total is posted yet: it arrives with the game-day prices. Until then, the scoring rates and the recent meetings set the range.
Goals in the last 5 meetings
Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.
Scoring rates
Buffalo3.333.673.512.94
NY Islanders3.002.332.842.94Goals for and against per game. The estimate averages each team’s scoring with the other’s goals allowed, and leans on 2025-26 until a team has played 20 games.
8 on the injury lists
Buffalo · injuries
NY Islanders · injuries
Latest moves
See all: Latest moves →Loaned D Dennis Gilbert to Rochester (AHL).
Recalled D Dennis Gilbert from Rochester (AHL). Placed G Alex Lyon and D Olen Zellweger on injured reserve. Signed D Louis Crevier to a four-year contract. Transferred F Matthew Savoie to long-term injured reserve.
Signed C Noah Östlund to an eight-year contract.
Agreed to terms with LD Logan Stanley on a 1-Year contract worth $1.5M. Placed G Vitek Vanecek on waivers with the intention of sending to Hamilton (AHL)
Waived Fs Tanner Fritz, Matt Luff and Nathan Chaffee. Waived Fs Dylan Foudy and Hudson Kuefler for the purpose of sending to Hamilton (AHL).
Signed F Alex Jefferies to a one-year contract.
Buffalo · 2026 draft
See all: Buffalo · 2026 draft →NY Islanders · 2026 draft
See all: NY Islanders · 2026 draft →
Updated after every final