Anaheim Ducks at Buffalo Sabres: game preview
AnaheimDucks2026-27: 2-0-0 · 4 pts · 2025-26: 43-33-6 · 92 pts · 18that
BuffaloSabres2026-27: 2-1-0 · 4 pts · 2025-26: 50-23-9 · 109 pts · 4thSeventeen points apart last season
Anaheim finished last season 18th in the league on 92 points. Buffalo finished 4th on 109.
Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.
Meeting number 52
Across 51 completed games, Buffalo lead the head-to-head 27-18-6.
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 10 Jan 2026, Anaheim were 26th in the league and Buffalo 9th. By 22 Mar 2026 it was 13th and 4th.
Anaheim out-attempted Buffalo 138 to 120
Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.
Anaheim Ducks
Buffalo Sabres
Anaheim and Buffalo are level on 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: 2 games for Anaheim, 3 for Buffalo. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.
Last 10 games: 10 games for Anaheim, 10 for Buffalo.
2025-26: 87 games for Anaheim, 82 for Buffalo.
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
Anaheim
Small sampleBuffalo
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.
Anaheim crease
ANA · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 9 Dec
No appearances against Buffalo in the last meetings.
Buffalo crease
BUF · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 9 Dec
No appearances against Anaheim in the last meetings.
Scoring rates point to about 6.6 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
Anaheim3.502.503.333.51
Buffalo3.333.673.512.94Goals 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.
9 on the injury lists
Anaheim · injuries
Buffalo · injuries
Latest moves
See all: Latest moves →Signed D Tristan Luneau to a six-year contract extension.
Reassigned C Roger McQueen and C Cruz Lucius to San Diego (AHL). Recalled D Noah Warren, D Ian Mitchell and D Tristan Luneau from San Diego. Placed D Drew Helleson on injured reserve. Moved RW Troy Terry from the non-roster list to long-term injured reserve.
Placed G Laurent Brossoit and D Travis Mitchell on waivers.
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.
Anaheim · 2026 draft
See all: Anaheim · 2026 draft →Buffalo · 2026 draft
See all: Buffalo · 2026 draft →Saturday 12 December · the full slate
See all: Saturday 12 December · the full slate →
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TOR7:00 PM ET
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