Early look · NHL 2026-27

Buffalo Sabres at Dallas Stars: game preview

BuffaloSabres2026-27: 2-1-0 · 4 pts · 2025-26: 50-23-9 · 109 pts · 4that

DallasStars2026-27: 1-2-0 · 2 pts · 2025-26: 50-20-12 · 112 pts · 3rd

Puck drop14 Nov · 8:00 PM ET

VenueAmerican Airlines Center

All-time meetings54 completed

BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26

The thesis

Three points apart last season

Buffalo finished last season 4th in the league on 109 points. Dallas finished 3rd on 112, and the 2025-26 season series went BUF 1-0-1.

Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.

Head-to-head

Meeting number 55

Across 54 completed games, Dallas lead the head-to-head 32-18-4.

All-time record32-18-4Dallas's record in the series

Meetings played54This is number 55

2025-26 seriesBUF 1-0-1

Last 53-2Dallas

Last 5 meetings

See all: Last 5 meetings →

DateResultShotsPower playWinner

15 Apr 2026DAL 4 – BUF 3 SO28–24DAL 1/3 · BUF 0/3DAL

31 Dec 2025BUF 4 – DAL 131–29BUF 0/2 · DAL 0/2BUF

31 Dec 2024BUF 2 – DAL 423–33BUF 0/0 · DAL 0/1DAL

22 Oct 2024DAL 2 – BUF 430–25DAL 0/3 · BUF 0/1BUF

9 Apr 2024BUF 2 – DAL 321–24BUF 0/3 · DAL 0/2DAL

Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateBuffaloDallas

31 Dec 202521-14-4 · 46 pts11th25-8-7 · 57 pts2nd

15 Apr 202650-23-9 · 109 pts4th50-20-12 · 112 pts3rd

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 31 Dec 2025, Buffalo were 11th in the league and Dallas 2nd. By 15 Apr 2026 it was 4th and 3rd.

Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Dallas out-attempted Buffalo 293 to 274

Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.

Buffalo Sabres

274 att · 124 on goal · 15 G · 12.1%

Crease20 att · 4 G

Slot100 att · 6 G

Wing102 att · 5 G

Point40 att · 0 G

Neutral zone12 att · 0 G

Dallas Stars

293 att · 144 on goal · 13 G · 9.0%

Crease23 att · 1 G

Slot126 att · 8 G

Wing98 att · 2 G

Point38 att · 1 G

Neutral zone8 att · 1 G

GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Buffalo and Dallas are level on chances, last 10 games

Shot quality both ways: expected goals weigh every unblocked attempt by its chance of scoring. Finishing above zero means more goals than the chances.

BuffaloDallas

3.53xG for per game3.08

2.17xG against per game2.44

62.0%xG share55.8%

−0.6FinishingGoals minus expected goals−3.2

−4.5GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+1.3

This season: 3 games for Buffalo, 3 for Dallas. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.

Every team’s xG →

Special teams

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

This season's rates first, then 2025-26 and the last meetings between the two. Power-play chances are counted from the penalty log with coincidental minors cancelled; faceoffs are each club's wins over draws taken.

All bars share one scale · 0–100%SeasonLast meetings

Buffalo

Small sample

Power play · 2026-270.0%

Power play · 2025-2619.5% · 21st

Power play · last 5 meetings0/9 · 0.0%

Penalty kill · 2026-2766.7%

Penalty kill · 2025-2681.9% · 4th

Faceoffs · 2026-2750.6% · 91/180

Drawn · 2026-2710 (3.33/gm)

Drawn · last meetings9 (1.80/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-279 (3.00/gm)

PP goals · last meetings0

Dallas

Small sample

Power play · 2026-270.0%

Power play · 2025-2628.6% · 2nd

Power play · last 5 meetings1/11 · 9.1%

Penalty kill · 2026-2777.8%

Penalty kill · 2025-2680.3% · 13th

Faceoffs · 2026-2755.1% · 86/156

Drawn · 2026-278 (2.67/gm)

Drawn · last meetings11 (2.20/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-279 (3.00/gm)

PP goals · last meetings1

Skaters

Owen Power has 7 points in the last 5 meetings

Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away, then who has produced in the last meetings.

In the last meetings

See all: In the last meetings →

PlayerGPGAPSOG

25Owen Power50775

72Tage Thompson433611

89Alex Tuch532511

21Jason Robertson523517

55Thomas Harley51459

24Bowen Byram51344

23Esa Lindell521312

22Mavrik Bourque42134

53Wyatt Johnston520211

6Zach Benson41126

Head-to-head finder

Owen Power vs Dallas · game by game

See all: Owen Power vs Dallas · game by game →

DateVenueGAPSOGTOI

15 Apr 2026home022122:17

31 Dec 2025away011024:12

31 Dec 2024away000221:28

22 Oct 2024home033121:16

9 Apr 2024away011125:04

Last 5 meetings7 P0 G, 7 A · 5 SOG

Next best6 PTage Thompson, BUF

2026-27 season5 P3 GP · 1 G

Blank vs DAL1 of 5

Full game log

Goaltending

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been the difference

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen faced 115 shots across 4 appearances against Dallas and conceded 9, a .922 save percentage against a season figure of .784. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

Buffalo

Expected starter after their game on 12 Nov: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Dallas

Expected starter after their game on 12 Nov: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

See all: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen →

BUF · 1-1-0 in 2026-27 Starter estimate from 11 Nov

SV% · 2026-27.7842 GP · 4.03 GAA · 2025-26 .910

vs Dallas.9224 app · 115 SA · 9 GA

GSAx · 2026-27−3.72 starts · most on the roster

vs DALVenueSAGASV%

31 Dec 2025away291.966

31 Dec 2024away323.906

22 Oct 2024home302.933

9 Apr 2024away243.875

Also on the roster, 2026-27: Colten Ellis .900 (1 GP)

Full game log

Jake Oettinger

See all: Jake Oettinger →

DAL · 1-1-0 in 2026-27 Starter estimate from 11 Nov

SV% · 2026-27.9432 GP · 1.01 GAA · 2025-26 .899

vs Buffalo.8843 app · 69 SA · 8 GA

GSAx · 2026-27+2.02 starts · most on the roster

vs BUFVenueSAGASV%

15 Apr 2026away243.875

22 Oct 2024away243.875

9 Apr 2024home212.905

Also on the roster, 2026-27: Casey DeSmith .923 (1 GP)

Full game log

Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.2 goals

No total is posted yet: it arrives with the game-day prices. Until then, the scoring rates and the recent meetings set the range.

Goals in the last 5 meetings

15 Apr 20267 · DAL 4–3 BUF

31 Dec 20255 · BUF 4–1 DAL

31 Dec 20246 · BUF 2–4 DAL

22 Oct 20246 · DAL 2–4 BUF

9 Apr 20245 · BUF 2–3 DAL

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA

Buffalo3.333.673.512.94

Dallas2.002.003.402.76

Goals for and against per game. The estimate averages each team’s scoring with the other’s goals allowed, and leans on 2025-26 until a team has played 20 games.

Scoring rates suggest6.2Goals in this game

Last 5 meetings5.8Goals per game

Line—No total posted yet

Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

10 on the injury lists

Buffalo · injuries

Alex LyonUpper BodyIRReturn10 Oct

Conor TimminsLower BodyIRReturn17 Oct

Jack RathboneUndisclosedIRReturn24 Oct

Jason ZuckerAbdomenIRReturn15 Oct

Josh DoanLower BodyDay-to-dayReturn8 Oct

Topias LeinonenLower BodyIRReturn10 Oct

Dallas · injuries

Cameron HughesUpper BodyIRReturn10 Oct

Harrison ScottUndisclosedIRReturn8 Oct

Luke KrysUndisclosedIRReturn10 Oct

Matt DucheneLower BodyIRReturn25 Oct

Latest moves

See all: Latest moves →

2 Oct · BUF

Loaned D Dennis Gilbert to Rochester (AHL).

1 Oct · BUF

Recalled D Dennis Gilbert from Rochester (AHL). Placed G Alex Lyon and D Olen Zellweger on injured reserve. Signed D Louis Crevier to a four-year contract. Transferred F Matthew Savoie to long-term injured reserve.

14 Sep · BUF

Signed C Noah Östlund to an eight-year contract.

5 Oct · DAL

Assigned D Cameron Bertucci to Texas (AHL).

1 Oct · DAL

Placed F Matt Duchene on long-term injured reserve retroactive to Sept. 29. Recalled Fs Arttu Hyry and Colin Blackwell from Texas (AHL).

30 Sep · DAL

Signed G Casey DeSmith to a two-year contract.

Injury report

Buffalo · 2026 draft

See all: Buffalo · 2026 draft →

#4Daxon RudolphRound 1 · Prince AlbertD

#20Ilia MorozovRound 1 · MiamiC

#124Olivers MurnieksRound 4 · Saint JohnC

#156Doman SzongothRound 5 · Kookoo Jr.C

Full draft

Dallas · 2026 draft

See all: Dallas · 2026 draft →

#59Jakub VanecekRound 2 · Tri-cityD

#155Ryan BrownRound 5 · LondonLW

#187Anton Emil Wilde LarsenRound 6 · FrederikshavnG

#197Jasper KuhtaRound 7 · OttawaC

Full draft

Saturday 14 November · the full slate

See all: Saturday 14 November · the full slate →

DALThis game 9:00 PM ET

Updated after every final

Buffalo Sabres at Dallas Stars: game preview

Three points apart last season

Meeting number 55

Last 5 meetings

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

Dallas out-attempted Buffalo 293 to 274

Buffalo Sabres

Dallas Stars

Buffalo and Dallas are level on chances, last 10 games

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

Buffalo

Dallas

Owen Power has 7 points in the last 5 meetings

Forwards to watch

Defencemen to watch

In the last meetings

Owen Power vs Dallas · game by game

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been the difference

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Jake Oettinger

Scoring rates point to about 6.2 goals

Goals in the last 5 meetings

Scoring rates

10 on the injury lists

Buffalo · injuries

Dallas · injuries

Latest moves

Buffalo · 2026 draft

Dallas · 2026 draft

Saturday 14 November · the full slate