BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Buffalo Sabres are winners of three straight games, topping the Dallas Stars 4-1 Thursday night. Four different players scored in the win, including Michael Frolik who grabbed his first as a Sabre, while Linus Ullmark made 28 saves in net. The Sabres will be back on the road Saturday when they take on the Nashville Predators in what will be their last game before the NHL All-Star Break.
5 Observations from tonight's game
Dallas Went Down
Sorry, I had to. For the first time since 2009, the Sabres went to Dallas and left with a win. It wasn't a dominant effort but it was a much-needed road win to keep their streak alive. All in all, it was a great way to start the road trip and no matter what the Sabres will finish January with at least a .500 record.
Rewarded for his efforts
Since returning from injury, Rasmus Dahlin has been the Sabres' best defenseman. His creativity is on display every time he steps on the ice but he hasn't had much success finding the back of the net.
Dahlin strikes, 2-1 #Sabres50 #GoStars pic.twitter.com/2pPATbrVRJ
— Buffalo Hockey moments (@SabresPlays) January 17, 2020
That changed on Thursday when Dahlin scored his third of the season as he beat Ben Bishop with a shot from just inside the blue line. While the goals have been few and far between, the chances are starting to pile up, which means the goals will likely follow. With the goal, Dahlin now has 27 points on the season -- the most from any defender despite missing eight games.
Sloppy Second
After a solid start, the Sabres looked lost and outmatched in the second period. For the first 15 minutes of the middle frame, the Stars controlled every aspect of the game.
Luckily for the Sabres, Dahlin scored on the Sabres' third shot of the period to regain the lead. When the period came to an end Dallas owned a 16-5 shot advantage. More often than not a period like that will put a team into a hole they can't climb out of.
Lazar Can Stay
On Tuesday I tweeted "Curtis Lazar can stay" after he made some crucial blocks in the final minute and eventually scored the game-winner. Once again he made his presence felt.
In the final minutes, while shorthanded, Lazar won a battle in the corner and slid a pass to Michael Frolik, who scored his first as a Sabre. With his assist, Lazar now has seven points in his last nine games. Not too shabby for a guy who was brought on to play in the AHL. Lazar finished with nearly 14 minutes played and was once again a crucial contributor to the penalty kill. Even when Skinner and Olofsson come back, Lazar has earned a spot in this lineup.
Streak Continues
As the Sabres win streak extends to three games, Jack Eichel's point streak stretched to nine. With his assist on the first goal, Eichel now has 62 points in 47 games.
