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%)
Other Sabres Stories
Six Former Sabres Who Signed Elsewhere
Guerin Gathering Info On Possible Olympic Options
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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