The Sabres won a genuine coin flip — neither side controlled the run of play.
The Sabres' 4-1 victory over the Kings obscured a game that expected goals called nearly even. Buffalo won the underlying battle 2.77–2.61 xG—a 51–49 split that bore no resemblance to the final margin.
What made the difference was finishing. Buffalo converted 3 of 4 high-danger chances (75%); Los Angeles managed 0 for 5. Z. Benson's wrist shot from the top of the circles proved decisive. Later, R. Dahlin added another in high-danger territory.
U. Luukkonen (BUF) was the decisive factor. He made 26 saves on 27 shots, posting a 0.963 save percentage—1.61 goals better than expected—and was perfect on high-danger chances, stopping all 5. A. Forsberg (LAK) stopped 30 of 32 but couldn't overcome his teammates' offensive drought.
The Kings held 44% of shot attempts (27 actual shots to 34 for Buffalo) and created legitimate chances. They crashed the net hard enough to generate 4 rebound opportunities. But they couldn't execute when it mattered. Buffalo's rush game, meanwhile, produced two goals on 27 rush attempts—clinical efficiency where it counted.
This was a game decided not by territorial control or even shot volume, but by how both teams used their high-danger looks. Buffalo capitalized; Los Angeles didn't. U. Luukkonen's wall in net made sure that gap never closed.
