Dallas, TX. (WGR) - The good news is the Buffalo Sabres have points in eight straight road games going 4-0-4, but the bad news is overall they're on a three-game losing streak and have lost four out of five.
Buffalo has only averaged two goals in the three-game losing streak, but Tage Thompson and Jack Quinn have stayed hot. Thompson has seven goals and 12 points in his last eight games. Quinn has seven goals and 10 assists for 17 points in 14 games.
The Sabres blew a one goal leading going into the third period on Thursday in Chicago for the second time in three games. That is something this team RARELY did last season. They lost two in regulation when leading after two periods all season.
Alex Lyon played his first game of the year after getting injured in a preseason game and lost to the Blackhawks 3-2 in overtime. The veteran netminder looked very good and he'll go again Saturday in Dallas against the Stars.
Last season it was Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen playing in Dallas helping Buffalo to a 4-1 win. Dallas scored 15 seconds into the game and then Luukkonen slammed the door making 28 saves. Thompson scored twice in that game.
This season Dallas visited Buffalo on Oct. 8 and went home with a 4-0 win. Jake Oettinger made 26 saves for the shutout. This season Oettinger is 9-4-1 with a 2.33 goals against average, but he got smoked at home in his last start 8-3 by the Winnipeg Jets allowing six goals in 41 minutes. He also allowed five against the Washington Capitals on Nov. 3 and four vs the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 29. In his last five games Oettinger has a 4.09 goals against with a .842 save percentage thanks to those three games.
Dallas in 12th in the NHL with a points percentage of .611. Buffalo is 20th at .526.
Buffalo is now 11th in the Eastern Conference while the last Wild Card belongs to the Florida Panthers at .600. The Stars are sitting in the No. 1 Wild Card spot in the West. They're fourth in the Central Division while the Colorado Avalanche are third at .625.
Join Brian Koziol and me at 7:00 for the pregame when you'll hear from Lindy Ruff, Peyton Krebs and Mattias Samuelsson.
The team does have points in eight straight road games going 4-0-4.
The team does have points in eight straight road games going 4-0-4.
