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Michael Augello
Dec 31, 2025
Updated at Dec 31, 2025, 20:33
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Buffalo Sabres - Dallas Stars Game Preview

12/31/25 - 8:00pm at American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX

Buffalo – 20-14-4 | - 44  points – 5th place in the Atlantic Division

Dallas  – 25-7-7 | - 57 points – 2nd place in the Central Division

 

Special Teams

Buffalo

Power Play – 19.1% (16th)

Penalty Kill – 84.8% (3rd)

Dallas 

Power Play – 30.6% (7th)

Penalty Kill - 82.9% (7th)

Top Scorers

Buffalo

Tage Thompson: 38 GP, 18 G, 16 A, 34 PTS

Alex Tuch: 37 GP, 12 G, 19 A, 31 PTS

Rasmus Dahlin: 34 GP, 4 G, 24 A, 28 PTS

Dallas 

Mikko Rantanen: 38 GP, 15 G, 39 A, 54 PTS

Jason Robertson: 39 GP, 23 G, 22 A, 45 PTS

Wyatt Johnston: 39 GP, 20 G, 25 A, 45 PTS

Starting Goalies(projected)

Buffalo – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (6-5-1, 2.58 GAA, .897 Sv %)

Dallas –  Casey DeSmith  (9-1-4, 2.33 GAA, .915 Sv%)

Sabres on red-hot winning streak to end 2025

Other Sabres Stories

Sabres Line Combinations and Pairings (projected)

Forwards

Peyton Krebs - Tage Thompson - Josh Doan 

Zach Benson - Ryan McLeod - Jack Quinn 

Noah Ostlund - Josh Norris - Alex Tuch

Jordan Greenway - Beck Malenstyn  - Tyson Kozak

Ex. Josh Dunne

Defense

Mattias Samuelsson - Rasmus Dahlin

Bowen Byram - Michael Kesselring 

Jacob Bryson - Owen Power 

Ex. Zach Metsa  

Goaltenders

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Colten Ellis

Injuries

Justin Danforth (lower body, Oct. 18; injured reserve)

Jiri Kulich (blood clot, Nov. 4; injured reserve) 

Jason Zucker (upper body/lower body, Dec. 9; injured reserve)

Alex Lyon (day-to-day, lower-body) 

Conor Timmins (broken leg, Dec. 20; injured reserve)

 Notes

The Sabres are riding a nine-game winning streak and a win tonight would extend it to 10 games, which would tie for the longest winning streak in franchise history. Buffalo’s current nine-game winning streak is the longest active streak in the NHL and it is the second-longest streak by a team this season.

A win tonight would move the Sabres into a tie with the Avalanche for the longest winning streak of 2025-26.

The Sabres have earned six consecutive wins on the road, tied for the 

fourth-longest road winning streak in franchise history.

Tage Thompson has recorded 13 points (6+7) in his last 13 games.

Josh Norris has collected 12 points (5+7) in his last 11 games, including one point in back-to-back games (1+1). Norris has recorded seven points (1+6) in the seven road games he has appeared in this season.

Mattias Samuelsson has posted seven points (1+6) in his last six games, including at least one point in three straight contests (1+4). Samuelsson would match the longest point streak of his career (twice) 

with a point tonight.

Ryan McLeod is riding a four-game point streak (1+3) and he would match the longest point streak of his career (twice) with a point in tonight’s game.

Rasmus Dahlin has recorded 12 points (3+9) in his last 11 games.

Peyton Krebs has recorded five points (3+2) in his last five games, 

including one goal in two consecutive matchups.

In his last four games, Bowen Byram has registered five points (2+3).

Owen Power is one assist away from 100 in his career and if he reaches that mark tonight, he will become the 19th defenseman in franchise history to do so with the Sabres.

 

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