Buffalo Sabres at Minnesota Wild NHL Predictions
2021-12-16 • Xcel Energy Center
Minnesota Wild 2 - 3 Buffalo Sabres (SO)
🚨 Upset Loss (55% underdog)
📊 Pre-Game Predictions
Win Probability
MIN: 54.7%
BUF: 45.3%
Expected Goals
MIN: 3.00
BUF: 3.03
Total Goals
Median: 6.4
Over 5.5: 58%
Over 6.5: 43%
🥅 Goalie Matchup
MIN
C. Talbot
BUF
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen - 7-5-1 | 0.903 SV% | 2.46 GAA
| Stat | MIN | BUF |
|---|---|---|
| Season SV% | — | 0.903 |
| Last 5 SV% | — | — |
| SV% vs Opponent | — | — |
| GAA | — | 2.46 |
Last 5 / vs opponent shown when available in goalie stats. Confirmed goalie row used when available; otherwise current projected starter is shown.
Goalie Game Metrics
| Team | Goalie | SA | Saves | GA | SV% | xGA | HD Faced | GSAx |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIN | C. Talbot | 42 | 39 | 3 | 92.9% | 4.39 | 2 | 1.39 |
| BUF | Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 34 | 32 | 2 | 94.1% | 3.32 | 1 | 1.32 |
SA uses shots on goal plus goals. xGA, high-danger faced, and GSAx use modeled scoring attempts against. GSAx is xGA minus goals against.
Head-to-Head History
Model accuracy in this matchup: 50% • MIN at home vs BUF: 2-3
| Date | Score | Winner | Model Pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-17 | BUF 4 - 5 MIN | MIN | BUF |
| 2025-11-29 | MIN 2 - 3 BUF | BUF | MIN |
| 2025-03-22 | MIN 4 - 1 BUF | MIN | BUF |
| 2024-11-27 | BUF 0 - 1 MIN | MIN | MIN |
| 2024-02-17 | MIN 2 - 3 BUF | BUF | BUF |
Shot Quality by Period
| Period | Team | Shots | High Danger | xG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MIN | 10 | 0 | 0.49 |
| 1 | BUF | 26 | 1 | 1.76 |
| 2 | MIN | 19 | 1 | 1.58 |
| 2 | BUF | 8 | 0 | 0.45 |
| 3 | MIN | 15 | 0 | 0.76 |
| 3 | BUF | 14 | 0 | 0.79 |
| 4 | MIN | 4 | 0 | 0.27 |
| 4 | BUF | 3 | 0 | 0.35 |
| 5 | MIN | 3 | 0 | 0.21 |
| 5 | BUF | 3 | 1 | 1.03 |
Shots are modeled attempts: shots on goal, goals, and missed shots. Blocked shots are excluded. High danger is xG >= 0.20.
📈 Post-Game Analysis
Prediction Result
❌ Incorrect
Confidence: 54.7%
Total Goals
Actual: 5.0
Expected: 6.0
Score Breakdown
Minnesota Wild 2 - 3 Buffalo Sabres
Expected: 3.0 - 3.0
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