National Hockey League
Dallas 4, Buffalo 2
When: 8:00 PM ET, Tuesday, December 31, 2024
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Referees: Brandon Blandina, Chris Rooney
Linesmen: Kilian McNamara, Andrew Smith
Attendance: 18532

Jason Robertson had a goal and two assists for the Dallas Stars in a 4-2 win against the visiting Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday.

Thomas Harley added two assists and Casey DeSmith made 21 saves for the Stars.

Jason Zucker and Beck Malenstyn scored for the Sabres, who had their three-game winning streak snapped. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 29 saves.

Roope Hintz gave Dallas a 1-0 lead at 9:49 of the second period. Robertson held the puck high in the zone before centering a feed to Hintz, who fired a wrist shot glove side on Luukkonen.

Buffalo responded 31 seconds later.

Tage Thompson tipped a Bowen Byram shot under DeSmith, and Zucker was on the doorstep to push the puck across the goal line to tie the game 1-1 at 10:20.

Robertson put the Stars ahead 2-1 at 2:35 of the third period, intercepting Jack Quinn's clearing attempt and beating Luukkonen stick side from the right hashmarks.

Rasmus Dahlin kept Buffalo's deficit at one a couple minutes later, sweeping a puck that got behind Luukkonen off the goal line and out of the crease.

Sam Lafferty's shot from the right circle deflected off Malenstyn's skate and went past DeSmith, who was at the left edge of the crease, to make it 2-2 at 4:57.

Wyatt Johnston deflected Harley's centering pass from the left circle short side over Luukkonen's shoulder at 11:32 to give Dallas a 3-2 edge.

Esa Lindell added an empty-net goal at 18:23 for the 4-2 final.

Both goaltenders were sharp.

DeSmith closed his pads on Jiri Kulich's backhander from the right circle before stopping Zach Benson's chance on the rebound just over three minutes into the first period.

Later in the frame, Luukkonen got his blocker on Jamie Benn's snap shot from the slot.

In the second period, Luukkonen came across the goal to deny Logan Stankoven's one-timer from the slot.

Benson came within inches of getting the Sabres on the board when he slid the puck past an outstretched DeSmith on a two-on-one, but Nils Lundkvist was in the crease to clear it.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Buffalo   Dallas
Beck Malenstyn 1 Points Jason Robertson 3
Beck Malenstyn 1 Goals Jason Robertson 1
Bowen Byram 1 Assists Jason Robertson 2
N/A Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen .906 Save Percentage Casey DeSmith .913
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen 29 Saves Casey DeSmith 21
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Buffalo 23 2 0-0 1-1 2 13
Dallas 33 4 0-1 0-0 0 36
Upcoming Games
  • Dallas will play their next game at home against Ottawa. The Stars have a W/L % of .524 after a win and .733 after a loss.
  • Buffalo will play their next game on the road against Colorado. The Sabres have a W/L % of .533 after a win and .261 after a loss.