Rasmus Dahlin scored a tiebreaking goal in the second period, Linus Ullmark made 28 saves and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Dallas Stars 4-1 Thursday night.
Dahlin took a pass from Henri Jokiharju and sent a wrist shot from the top of the right faceoff circle past goalie Ben Bishop at 16:10.
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Rasmus Dahlin scored a tiebreaking goal in the second period, Linus Ullmark made 28 saves and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Dallas Stars 4-1 Thursday night.
Jamie Benn scored the Stars’ goal in the second period. Bishop stopped 18 shots.
Dallas controlled the puck early but Buffalo scored first after a Stars turnover. Jack Eichel took the puck away along the right boards and passed cross-ice to Sam Reinhart. With Bishop moving toward Reinhart, he passed back to the right to Vesey for an easy wrist shot into the open half of the net at 7:01.
Dahlin restored the Sabres’ lead with his third goal this season.
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Jimmy Vesey scored a first-period goal for Buffalo, and Michael Frolik and Zemgus Girgensons added empty-net goals.
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Henri Jokiharju, left, and Dallas Stars right wing Corey Perry, right, battle for the puck in the crease during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Dallas, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020. (AP PhotoRay Carlin)
Jamie Benn scored the Stars’ goal in the second period. Bishop stopped 18 shots.
Buffalo matched a season best with its third straight win. The Sabres successfully killed all four Stars power plays. Buffalo has won five of the past seven games, with a 15-for-17 success rate on the penalty kill.
Dallas had won seven of eight, without allowing more than two goals in any of them.
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, right, is congratulated by center Curtis Lazar, left, after scoring a goal against the Dallas Stars during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Dallas, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020. (AP PhotoRay Carlin)
Dallas controlled the puck early but Buffalo scored first after a Stars turnover. Jack Eichel took the puck away along the right boards and passed cross-ice to Sam Reinhart. With Bishop moving toward Reinhart, he passed back to the right to Vesey for an easy wrist shot into the open half of the net at 7:01.
Each team had eight shots on goal in the first period.
Benn tied it 4:28 into the second period. Miro Heiskanen’s shot from the point missed the net but bounced off the boards to Benn at the left of the net. With Ullmark down, Benn had an open net for his wrist shot.
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Henri Jokiharju, left, rides Dallas Stars left wing Roope Hintz, right, up the boards during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Dallas, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020. (AP PhotoRay Carlin)
Dahlin restored the Sabres’ lead with his third goal this season.
Even though Dallas outshot Buffalo 16-5 in the period, it ended with the Sabres holding the 2-1 lead.
NOTES: Stars D Miro Heiskanen did not play after the second period because of an upper-body injury. ... Eichel’s assist on the game’s first goal gave him his second points streak of nine or more games this season, matched only by Boston’s David Pastrnak. Eichel has at least one point in 27 of his last 29 games. ... Sabres C Sam Reinhart had an assist, giving him 20 points (seven goals, 13 assists) in the past 20 games. ... Dallas D Stephen Johns was recalled from a conditioning assignment with Texas of the AHL but wasn’t added to the active roster and did not play. Johns has not played an NHL game since March 29, 2018, because of post-traumatic headaches. ... Stars RW Corey Perry returned from a five-game suspension for elbowing Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis. ... Dallas C Radek Faksa (upper-body injury) missed his second straight game, and C Mattias Janmark was out with an illness.
Dallas Stars goaltender Ben Bishop, left, clears the puck as defenseman John Klingberg (3) and Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (55) look for the rebound during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Dallas, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020. (AP PhotoRay Carlin)
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Sabres: Finish a two-game trip on Saturday at Nashville.
Stars: Visit Minnesota on Saturday for their last game before the All-Star break.
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Buffalo Sabres defenseman Brandon Montour, left, controls the puck infront of Dallas Stars left wing Roope Hintz, right, during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Dallas, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020. (AP PhotoRay Carlin)