New Jersey Devils at Buffalo Sabres NHL Predictions
2021-12-29 • KeyBank Center
Buffalo Sabres 3 - 4 New Jersey Devils
📊 Pre-Game Predictions
Win Probability
BUF: 48.3%
NJD: 51.7%
Expected Goals
BUF: 2.95
NJD: 3.00
Total Goals
Median: 6.3
Over 5.5: 67%
Over 6.5: 49%
🥅 Goalie Matchup
BUF
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen - 7-5-1 | 0.903 SV% | 2.46 GAA
NJD
M. Blackwood
| Stat | BUF | NJD |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUF | Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 42 | 38 | 4 | 90.5% | 2.64 | 2 | -1.36 |
| NJD | M. Blackwood | 22 | 19 | 3 | 86.4% | 1.94 | 0 | -1.06 |
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: 60% • BUF at home vs NJD: 3-4
| Date | Score | Winner | Model Pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-25 | NJD 1 - 2 BUF | BUF | NJD |
| 2025-12-21 | NJD 1 - 3 BUF | BUF | NJD |
| 2025-11-28 | BUF 0 - 5 NJD | NJD | BUF |
| 2025-02-02 | BUF 4 - 3 NJD | BUF | NJD |
| 2024-10-05 | NJD 3 - 1 BUF | NJD | NJD |
Shot Quality by Period
| Period | Team | Shots | High Danger | xG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BUF | 6 | 0 | 0.28 |
| 1 | NJD | 20 | 1 | 1.00 |
| 2 | BUF | 12 | 0 | 0.88 |
| 2 | NJD | 22 | 0 | 0.46 |
| 3 | BUF | 11 | 0 | 0.78 |
| 3 | NJD | 17 | 1 | 1.17 |
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
✅ Correct
Confidence: 51.7%
Total Goals
Actual: 7.0
Expected: 5.9
Score Breakdown
Buffalo Sabres 3 - 4 New Jersey Devils
Expected: 2.9 - 3.0
Get NHL forecasts in your inbox
Occasional emails with NHL forecasts, analysis, and model updates.