Sabres Drop Regular Season Finale to Stars in Shootout as Tuch Hits Milestone

The Buffalo Sabres closed out their impressive regular season with a hard-fought battle on Wednesday night. Head coach Lindy Ruff chose to rest several star players ahead of the upcoming playoffs. As a result, a young and hungry lineup took the ice at KeyBank Center to face the Dallas Stars. The short-handed Sabres traded blows with the visitors for over sixty minutes. Highlighted by Alex Tuch‘s milestone 200th career goal, Buffalo kept the home crowd buzzing all night long. Ultimately, the Sabres could not close the deal during the overtime period. Dallas secured a tight 4-3 victory after a tense shootout. Now, Buffalo officially shifts their entire focus to their first-round matchup against the Boston Bruins.

Josh Norris Answers Early Dallas Goal as Short-Handed Sabres Tie Stars in First Period

The Sabres rested foundational pieces like Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin for the upcoming playoffs. As a result, Buffalo leaned heavily on their depth in front of goaltender Colten Ellis during Wednesday’s opening period.

Dallas struck first just two minutes into the contest. A lucky bounce off the endboards found Mavrik Bourque perfectly positioned. He quickly slipped the puck past Ellis to take the lead.

However, Buffalo soon settled in and controlled the pace against Jake Oettinger and the Stars. Eventually, the Sabres outshot the visitors 9-5 in the opening frame.

Buffalo failed to capitalize on an initial power play, but Josh Norris leveled the score at 1-1 just past the twelve-minute mark. He took a crisp setup from Zach Benson and Owen Power. Then, Norris snapped a pristine, far-side shot past Oettinger.

Shortly after the tying goal, the Sabres drew another holding penalty. Unfortunately, the power-play unit couldn’t break the deadlock. As a result, both squads headed to the locker room knotted at one apiece.

Alex Tuch Nets 200th Career Goal in Wild Second Period

The second period turned into a chaotic, back-and-forth battle. Special teams play and a major career milestone highlighted the busy frame.

First, Buffalo found themselves on an early penalty kill after Jordan Greenway was whistled for interference. But, this disadvantage quickly turned into a spark. Zach Benson energized the home crowd by breaking free. He buried a beautiful shorthanded goal, set up by Tyson Kozak, to give the Sabres a 2-1 edge.

That momentum was short-lived, however. Dallas capitalized on the remainder of their power play. An Esa Lindell shot took an unfortunate deflection off Logan Stanley’s skate and slipped right into the net.

Colten Ellis had to make several massive stops to stabilize the crease. Then, Alex Tuch delivered the highlight of the night. Firing from a nearly impossible angle below the goal line, Tuch cleverly banked the puck off Jake Oettinger. This incredible effort secured his 200th career NHL goal and restored the Buffalo lead. Tanner Pearson and Owen Power grabbed the assists on the milestone tally.

Late in the period, the Stars pushed back yet again. Justin Hryckowian kept the puck on a two-on-one rush and ripped a clean, unassisted shot past Ellis. This tied the game at three apiece.

Finally, the Sabres successfully killed off a late holding penalty from Luke Schenn. Both teams headed to the second intermission locked in a 3-3 tie, with Dallas controlling the shot clock 11-7 during the period.

Stars Outlast Sabres in Shootout After Tense Third Period

The third period featured tight, defensive hockey as both teams fought to break the 3-3 tie. Dallas carried the play for long stretches. Ultimately, the Stars outshot the Sabres 12-6 in the final period.

Buffalo faced a massive test midway through the period. Conor Timmins was whistled for a delay of game penalty after sending the puck over the glass. However, the Sabres’ penalty kill stood tall. They successfully killed off the minor to keep the game knotted at three.

In the dying moments of regulation, Buffalo nearly secured a dramatic victory. Tanner Pearson wired a shot that squarely hit the goal post with just 20 seconds remaining. As a result of that missed inch, the two heavyweights headed to overtime.

During the three-on-three overtime period, Buffalo completely controlled the puck. They outshot Dallas 2-0 in the extra frame. Furthermore, the Sabres earned a golden opportunity when Mavrik Bourque took a hooking penalty against Alex Tuch.

Head coach Lindy Ruff immediately called his timeout. He used the valuable break to rest his top unit and draw up a set play. Despite the four-on-three man advantage, Buffalo could not find the back of the net. Consequently, the game progressed to a shootout to decide a winner.

Wyatt Johnston Seals the Win for Dallas in the Shootout

The shootout opened with plenty of offensive fireworks. First, Josh Norris and Jack Quinn both scored beautiful goals on their opening attempts for Buffalo. Meanwhile, Jason Robertson tallied for Dallas, but Mikko Rantanen missed his chance against Colten Ellis.

Unfortunately, the momentum quickly shifted away from the home team. Alex Tuch and Josh Doan both failed to convert on their subsequent shootout attempts for the Sabres. On the other side of the ice, the Stars’ high-end skill shined through.

Matt Duchene found the back of the net to officially even the shootout score. Finally, Wyatt Johnston stepped up and delivered the decisive blow. Johnston slipped the puck past Ellis to secure the 4-3 victory for Dallas and send the Sabres into their playoff preparation.

Final Thoughts: By the Numbers and a Franchise Record

Dallas ultimately outshot Buffalo by a narrow margin of 28-24. However, the Sabres controlled the faceoff dot, winning an impressive 53.8% of the total draws. Special teams proved to be a major deciding factor in this tight contest. Buffalo finished the night 0-for-3 on the power play. Meanwhile, Dallas managed to convert on one of their three man-advantage opportunities to secure a crucial edge.

Both teams brought a physical, playoff-style intensity to the regular-season finale. Buffalo recorded 23 hits compared to 21 for Dallas. Additionally, both squads sacrificed the body evenly, registering 14 blocked shots apiece. Puck management was also incredibly tight all night. The Sabres committed 13 giveaways, while the Stars recorded 12 of their own. Offensively, Jack Quinn paced the home team by firing a team-high five shots on goal.

On the physical side of the puck, Beck Malenstyn delivered a truly historic performance. He led the Sabres with six massive hits during the game. As a result, Malenstyn officially broke the single-season franchise record for hits. He finished the remarkable year with 282 total hits, successfully surpassing the previous mark of 279.

Now, the regular season is officially in the rearview mirror. The Buffalo Sabres will turn their complete attention to the postseason. They are set to take on the Boston Bruins in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The highly anticipated series will kick off this weekend, starting on either Saturday or Sunday.