Stars cool off Sabres with 4-2 win
Dec 31, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn (14) stands in the crease against Buffalo Sabres defenseman Jacob Bryson (78) and goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (1) during the second period at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images 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
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