The Buffalo Sabres have been sizzling in December and can wrap up the month by matching a franchise-record winning streak when they visit the Dallas Stars on Wednesday.
Winners of nine straight after a 4-2 victory against the St. Louis Blues on Monday, Buffalo will go for double digits against Dallas. If successful, it would be the fourth time in franchise history that the club has reached 10 in a row, having last done so Nov. 8-27, 2018.
Back then, nine of those games were one-goal affairs and seven were secured in overtime or a shootout. Things are different now, with only four wins decided by a goal and just three going beyond regulation.
“We’re relentless right now, honestly,” winger Alex Tuch said. “It’s great to see. I don’t think our confidence has wavered one bit. … We know that not every period is going to be perfect and sometimes we’re going to have a bad bounce against us. Just not to get down, stay positive, just keep pushing.”
The Sabres are a deeper team these days; not only do they have more talent, but they’re also more well-rounded throughout their lineup. They’ve been getting contributions from throughout their lineup during the streak, and it’s coming at both ends of the ice.
“We have a lot of character in this room,” said forward Zach Benson, who scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period against St. Louis. “Everyone knows we have skill, but you see how many blocks we have a night, pucks getting out on the wall. It’s just little things like that, and it adds up throughout a game. We’re doing all the little details right.”
Buffalo could be without goalie Alex Lyon against the Stars. The 33-year-old didn’t practice Tuesday as he was being evaluated for a lower-body injury sustained “really late in the game” against the Blues, coach Lindy Ruff said. Lyon has won seven straight, starting six of those games and recording a 2.22 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage.
The Stars enter the contest in second place in the NHL’s overall standings, trailing only the Colorado Avalanche. They’re coming off a 4-3 shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, their second straight defeat after a 4-3 setback in overtime against the Detroit Red Wings on Dec. 23.
Those two losses were preceded by a four-game winning streak, part of a 12-2-1 stretch from Nov. 25 to Dec. 21.
“I want to get a well-rounded team so that you’re not trying to win a series one way, you can win it multiple ways,” Dallas coach Glen Gulutzan said. “At the end of the day, I think we’re on a pretty good path. We grind a little bit more, we’re still stingy. We have found ways to keep winning games.”
The Stars are once again a strong defensive team, averaging 2.62 goals against per game, which ranks fourth in the NHL. Offensively, an improved power play has also helped fuel success. After finishing 17th in the league last season, Dallas entered Tuesday second, connecting at a 30.6% clip.
“We have a good plan and we have a lot of talent,” forward Wyatt Johnston said “When you’re out there, you feel confident and I think that builds off each other.”
