Buffalo Sabres vs Los Angeles Kings Final — October 31, 2026
BUFStarting goaliesLA
BUFOffense2026-27 regular season to dateLABUFDefenseLABUFTeamLABUF5-on-5LABUFSpecial teamsLABUFRecent formLABUFHome and roadseason to dateLAInjuries & restkey injuries · rest and travel
BUFRest & travelLABUFKey injuriesLAAbout these numbers
Goalie status from the G&W goalie tracker (Confirmed, Expected, Likely or Not confirmed); teams confirm starters close to puck drop. Season lines come from the NHL Lab goalie tables. GSAx = goals saved above expected (Gridiron & Wine expected goals). HD Sv% = save rate on high-danger shots.
2026-27 regular season to date, captured before kickoff. League rank in small type (32 teams); the gold side ranks higher. Bars show rank, longest = 1st. Source: Gridiron & Wine public Analytics tables.
2026-27 regular season, public NHL Lab tables; ranks out of 32 teams. Expected goals are Gridiron & Wine's own expected-goals numbers.
2026-27 regular season. Rates are per 60 minutes of power-play or penalty-kill time.
Regular-season results this season, oldest to newest (OTL = overtime or shootout loss). Records are season to date, with home and road splits. Over–under uses the consensus closing total.
Distance is a straight-line estimate from the arena of each team's previous game, not the team's actual itinerary; time-zone change is at game time. Days of rest are full days off since each team's previous game this season (0 = back-to-back); preseason games do not count. Schedule facts only: no fatigue adjustment is applied.
Key players only. Injury report as of October 31, 3:40 p.m. ET.
The pre-game matchup
The Sabres (6-4-3) visited the Kings (4-6-2) on Saturday, October 31 at 4:10 PM ET.
The Sabres score 3.08 goals per game (19th of 32) and allow 3.62 (27th). The Kings score 2.83 goals per game (26th of 32) and allow 3.50 (26th). The Sabres earn 57.7% of available standings points (15th) and the Kings 41.7% (28th).
Expected-goals share (5-on-5), the share of 5-on-5 expected goals created: Sabres 53.3% (11th), Kings 47.5% (22nd). Shot-attempt share (5-on-5), the share of all 5-on-5 shot attempts: Sabres 53.5% (8th), Kings 48.1% (19th). High-danger chance share, the share of 5-on-5 high-danger chances: Sabres 60.0% (6th), Kings 48.6% (19th).
The total closed 5.5, unchanged from the open. After removing the vig, the closing moneyline (Sabres -140, Kings +115) prices the Sabres at 56% and the Kings at 44%.
Written from the numbers available before kickoff.
Result
Final score and result vs the closing line
Buffalo Sabres 3, Los Angeles Kings 2
Buffalo Sabres won by 1.
- Against the closing spread (Los Angeles Kings +1.5): Los Angeles Kings covered.
- Combined score 5 vs the closing total of 5.5: Under.
- Buffalo Sabres closed at -140 on the moneyline (a 56% no-vig market-implied chance).
Actual result
Los Angeles Kings 2
Before the game: market and G&W
From open to close the market moved 3 points toward Buffalo Sabres.
Market numbers are the consensus moneyline with the bookmaker margin removed.
Win probability
Each team's chance of winning through the game, starting from the market's closing price (Buffalo Sabres 56%, Los Angeles Kings 44%) and moving with every goal, penalty and the clock until the final.
Biggest swings
- 1st 6:35 — Buffalo Sabres goal (1-0)Buffalo Sabres 57% → 72% (+15 pts)
- 3rd 1:29 — Los Angeles Kings goal (2-2)Los Angeles Kings 23% → 47% (+23 pts)
- 3rd 13:40 — Buffalo Sabres goal (3-2)Buffalo Sabres 58% → 90% (+31 pts)
Chance Quality Result
Based on the quality of chances each team created, Los Angeles Kings won 57% of G&W replays (Buffalo Sabres 43%). The chances each team created were close to even.
The Chance Quality Result describes the chances each team created. It is not the official result and never changes it or any record. Expected goals count regulation chances with both goalies in net; empty-net goals are not included. Season xG tables count every game state, empty nets included, so their totals differ.
Game DNA
The Chance Quality Result above had the chances close to even. Here is where each side gained and lost.
| Sabres | Goals | Kings |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5 | 5-on-5 chancesexpected goals | 2.3 |
| 1.0 | Power-play chancesexpected goals | 0.7 |
| 0.1 | Other situations4-on-4, 3-on-3, short-handed | 0.0 |
| 2.6 | Chance Quality Result chancesthe three rows above, as in the result | 3.0 |
| 0.0 | Overtime and pulled-goalie chancesnot part of the Chance Quality Result | 0.6 |
| 0.6 | Second chancesrebounds and flurries, part of the above | 0.1 |
| +0.4 | Finishinggoals vs expected on own shots | -1.6 |
| +1.6 | Goaltendingsaves vs expected · Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen 27/29 · Anton Forsberg 28/31 | -0.4 |
How the margin was built, from Buffalo Sabres's side:
The first three rows add up to the Chance Quality Result's expected goals. Overtime chances and chances with a goalie pulled are listed on their own, and empty-net goals are not in expected goals. A team's finishing and the other team's goaltending are the same goals seen from each end.
The official play, graded
The official play on this game, at the price it was sent, graded against the final score.
Every official play is logged and graded, wins and losses alike. Full track record.
Line review
Buffalo Sabres closed as the market favourite at 56% and won.
The line moved toward Buffalo Sabres before puck drop, and they won.
Market
Closing line and line movement
Sabres -1.5 (+200)
Sabres -1.5 (+183)
Kings +104 47%
Kings +115 44%
Consensus of US sportsbooks. Open = first line after both teams' previous games; Close = consensus at kickoff. Percentages are the moneyline's no-vig market-implied chances.
Members
G&W Line
G&W’s own number for this game, next to the market. Analytics
Matchup
Head-to-head
The teams have met 14 times since 2018-19: the Sabres won 10 and the Kings 4.
| Date | Score | Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 21, 2026 | Sabres 4, Kings 1 Sabres won | Sabres -130 favorite won | 6.5 under |
| Jan 29, 2026 | Kings 1, Sabres 4 Sabres won | Sabres -125 favorite won | 5.5 under |
| Nov 20, 2024 | Sabres 1, Kings 0 Sabres won | Kings -178 underdog won | 5.5 under |
| Oct 10, 2024 | Kings 3, Sabres 1 Kings won | 6 under | |
| Feb 13, 2024 | Kings 0, Sabres 7 Sabres won | Kings -136 underdog won | 6 over |
Regular-season meetings since 2018-19, most recent first. Line = consensus closing moneyline favorite and total where line history is available.
Teams
Buffalo Sabres
- Buffalo Sabres team stats
- Ottawa Senators 2, Buffalo Sabres 1 (Nov 4)
- Buffalo Sabres 7, Anaheim Ducks 6 (Oct 29)
- Buffalo Sabres 2, San Jose Sharks 0 (Oct 27)
Los Angeles Kings
- Los Angeles Kings team stats
- San Jose Sharks 2, Los Angeles Kings 7 (Nov 4)
- Ottawa Senators 5, Los Angeles Kings 6 (Oct 29)
- Los Angeles Kings 1, Chicago Blackhawks 2 (Oct 27)
Gridiron & Wine graded a pick on this game: see the archived pick.
More NHL games on October 31, 2026
- Chicago Blackhawks 4, Boston Bruins 5 (Oct 31)
- St Louis Blues 5, Detroit Red Wings 4 (Oct 31)
- Tampa Bay Lightning 4, Nashville Predators 5 (Oct 31)
- Edmonton Oilers 4, New York Islanders 0 (Oct 31)
- Ottawa Senators 5, San Jose Sharks 1 (Oct 31)
- Pittsburgh Penguins 4, Montréal Canadiens 5 (Oct 31)
- Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Vancouver Canucks 2 (Oct 31)
- Columbus Blue Jackets 1, Dallas Stars 3 (Oct 31)
- Calgary Flames 2, Colorado Avalanche 5 (Oct 31)
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