The Sabres hosted the Dallas Stars in a Columbus Day matinee on Monday at KeyBank Center. With school not in session, the organization deemed it ‘Kids Day,’ and the Sabres delivered with a strong performance. Buffalo scored twice in each of the final two periods to top the Stars, 4-0.
Ben Bishop came into the game with a 12-1 record against Buffalo, along with a 1.37 GAA, .951 SV percentage and three shutouts. But it was Carter Hutton who got the victory in goal this time, improving to 4-0 on the young season and earning his 12th career shutout.
Hutton on keeping the lead: "We had two-goals leads in the 3rd, gave it up, here today, to come out and get an early one, it was a rock-solid game…" #Sabres50
— Brian Koziol (@BrianWGR) October 14, 2019
The Stars had some chances in this game, but never really got ones of high quality. One of their best came on the power play toward the end of the first period. Jamie Benn drilled one off the outside of the post, and Hutton made a tough save shortly after that.
But it would be Buffalo’s power play that struck first. After a tremendous shift that had the Stars pinned in their own end, Dallas took a delay of game penalty. Victor Olofsson buried a one-timer past Ben Bishop to open the scoring.
Victor Olofsson on the powerplay! 1-0 #sabres50 #gostars pic.twitter.com/E5WuCvFzNs
— Buffalo Hockey moments (@SabresPlays) October 14, 2019
That goal snapped a 156 minute and 3-second shutout streak for Bishop against Buffalo. It was also a new NHL record:
With his fifth power-play goal of the season, Victor Olofsson has become the first player in NHL history to score each of his first seven career goals with the man advantage.
— Sabres PR (@SabresPR) October 14, 2019
After that, it was all Buffalo. They took that lead and kept on adding to it.
Olofsson had a big hand on the next goal, too. He made an impressive backhanded pass to Sam Reinhart, who didn’t waste any time in getting the puck to the net. It beat Bishop to give Buffalo a two-goal lead late in the second period.
Great vision, great pass, great GOAL! 🚨
Sam Reinhart scores to make it 2-0!#Sabres50 pic.twitter.com/xMPh541vNS
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) October 14, 2019
Jeff Skinner added an insurance goal after the Sabres converted on a 3-on-1 rush. Henri Jokiharju earned his first assist as a Sabre.
Jeff Skinner 3-0! #sabres50 #gostars pic.twitter.com/xMmDEmV6ES
— Buffalo Hockey moments (@SabresPlays) October 14, 2019
More insurance was added minutes later after Marcus Johansson notched his third goal of the season, but it wouldn’t be needed.
The win was the first against Dallas since January 16th, 2017.
The Sabres finished their three-game homestand with a perfect six points as they improve to 5-0-1. They will head out west for a three-game road trip, taking on the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday, and the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.