Dallas, Texas (WGR Sports Radio 550) - If you’re going to walk into Dallas and beat the Stars - a team with the second-best points percentage in the NHL at .731 - you had better be ready.
I thought the Buffalo Sabres played their best game of the season on Wednesday, beating the Stars, 4-1, and tying their team record with a 10-game winning streak.
Buffalo fell behind just 15 seconds into the game when Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Rasmus Dahlin misread each other behind the net, leading to a Mavrik Bourque goal.
The goal didn’t stop the Sabres, in the least, as they came right back and took over the game, putting endless pressure on Stars goalie Casey DeSmith at the other end.
It’s only the second time all season DeSmith has given up four goals in regulation time. The other time was his first game of the season on Oct. 16 when the Vancouver Canucks scored five goals.
Luukkonen has been in net for three of the 10 wins the Sabres have strung together, and has been spectacular in all three contests. His goals-against average in the three games is 1.00, and his save percentage is a sparkling .962.
His banner saves in this one included coming across the net to absolutely rob Wyatt Johnston on an open backhand, as well as a shorthanded 2-on-1 again, coming across the crease to stymie Colin Blackwell when he thought he had a layup goal.
Stars forward Jason Robertson was red-hot coming into the game, but Luukkonen made two great saves on him from the slot.
Then there was Tage Thompson, who was a beast at both ends of the ice. The Sabres forward ended up finishing the game with two goals and an assist, while registering seven shots on goal in 18:45 of ice-time.
His assist was gorgeous work behind the Dallas net, as he put on two nifty moves behind the net, won the battle and gave Josh Doan a chance to shake free in front for his 11th of the season.
Thompson's first goal of the game came in the third period, because he crashed the net with his whole line of Doan and Peyton Krebs.
On his second goal of the period, Thompson killed a play at the Buffalo blue line and got them into transition up ice. Thompson didn’t just admire his work, though. He came sprinting down the slot, and Noah Ostlund found him for his 20th goal of the season.
The Sabres finish 2025 in seventh place in the Eastern Conference with a points percentage of .590. The Washington Capitals are in eighth at .588, while the Florida Panthers hold down the ninth spot at .577.
Buffalo will have Thursday off in Dallas, and then practice there on Friday before leaving for Columbus to play the Blue Jackets on Saturday.
As for your Thursday slate of notable games, Washington visits the Ottawa Senators, while the New York Islanders host the Utah Mammoth, the Winnipeg Jets visit the Maple Leafs in Toronto with the worst record in the National Hockey League, the Detroit Red Wings are in Pittsburgh to face the Penguins, the Montreal Canadiens travel to Carolina to play the Hurricanes, and the Tampa Bay Lightning are in Southern California to face the Los Angeles Kings.
Then on Friday, the New York Rangers are in Florida to face the Panthers.
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