Game Preview: Stars Look To Start Road Trip Strong Against Sabres

It has been two years since the Dallas Stars and Buffalo Sabres met on the ice, a 4-1 Sabres win on Jan. 16, 2020. Like many other teams in the league, they did not meet during the shortened 56-game 2020-21 season. Tonight, they will renew their 1999 rivalry at the Keybank Center in Buffalo.

Dallas has won two of its last three games in Buffalo and has picked up points in five of their last eight games there.

Currently, the Stars are struggling to find their game, especially on the road. Their 4-12-1 record sits near the bottom of the league and they have been outscored 61-32 away from home this season.

"You can only say that so much," defenseman Ryan Suter said when asked about "learning" from the losses. "We can work harder. When you're not scoring goals, you dig in and get dirty and find ways to score. They don't have to be pretty goals. You have to will the puck into the net. That's what we need to focus on moving forward."

On the other side, the Sabres sit smack in the middle of what has felt like a lifelong rebuild. It has been 10 years since Buffalo has made the playoffs, and with the recent departure of their franchise player, Jack Eichel, they are still desperately searching for answers. In their last 10 games, they hold a record of 2-5-3, sit 28th in the entire league, but are coming off a win against the Ottawa Senators and have points in their last two games.

While the Sabres do not have much elite talent on their roster, they have had a few players step up in Eichel’s absence. Veteran forward Jeff Skinner has 14 goals and 24 points on the season while Tage Thompson has recorded 12 goals and 12 assists. The top duo has combined for nine points in their last four games.

The third forward on that top line is a familiar face to Dallas. Alex Tuch, the former Vegas Golden Knight, was part of the deal that sent Eichel to Vegas. While he has only played in seven games this season, he is averaging a point-per-game in that time.

As has been repeated around the Stars over the last few days, anything can happen in the NHL on any given night. That was proven when the last-placed Montreal Canadiens came into American Airlines Center and beat one of the best home teams 5-3 on their own pond.

"Hopefully this is just a blessing in disguise in a way that we have no choice but to get our act straight on the road coming up going on a long road trip here," Seguin said. "There's no excuses. We're getting down to not do or die but the urgency has to be very high."

The Hockey Writers: Stars Look For Change of Fate On Upcoming Road Trip

Dallas hopes to inch closer to a full lineup tonight, as Jason Robertson will be a game-time decision and traveled with the team on the road trip. Robertson has missed the last two games after sustaining a lower-body injury against the Florida Panthers on Jan. 14.

In goal, Braden Holtby will make his first start since returning from COVID protocol. Jake Oettinger has started three of the last four games for Dallas but has struggled over that span (1-2), being pulled in two of those starts.

For Dallas, it is vital to get off to a good start. While their overall road record is poor, things get even worse when their opponent is able to score first (0-7-1). Playing well early is even more important on a road trip that will see them play four games in six nights, and both sets being back-to-backs.

“We have to do everything we can to win this game tonight and not worry about tomorrow,” Bowness said. “If the score dictates that we can spread ice time out a little more, we will. But again, we have to get this one tonight and we are going to throw everything we can at them.”