At the Horn | Stars 4 - Sabres 3

Alex Tuch scored the 200th goal of his NHL career, but Wyatt Johnston scored the game winner in the shootout as the Dallas Stars beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 at KeyBank Center on Wednesday.  

Josh Norris scored for the second straight game and Zach Benson added a shorthanded breakaway goal. Jack Quinn scored in the shootout to improve to 10-for-15 in his career and 5-for-6 this season.  

Benson had a multi-point game and assisted on Norris’ goal, giving him his first 30-assist season and at least one point in five straight games. Norris has a point in six consecutive games and his highest season point total since 2021-22.  

The Sabres finished the regular season 50-23-9 with 109 points and the third most wins in a season in franchise history. Buffalo finished with its fifth-highest point total in Sabres history.  

The Sabres have recorded at least one point in 28 of their last 34 games with a 24-6-4 mark in that span.  

Beck Malenstyn recorded six hits and surpassed Marcus Foligno for the most in a single season by a Sabres skater since the NHL started tracking the stat in 2005-06.

Scoring Summary

DAL 1, BUF 0 | Period 1, 2:19 – Mavrik Bourque (20) from Esa Lindell (26) and Ilya Lyubushkin (8)  

DAL 1, BUF 1 | Period 1, 12:48 – Josh Norris (13) from Zach Benson (30) and Owen Power (20)

DAL 1, BUF 2 | Period 2, 3:32 (SHG) – Zach Benson (13) from Tyson Kozak (4)

DAL 2, BUF 2 | Period 2, 4:24 (PPG) – Esa Lindell (6) from Jamie Benn (21) and Justin Hryckowian (16)

DAL 2, BUF 3 | Period 2, 11:08 – Alex Tuch (33) from Tanner Pearson (8) and Owen Power (21)

DAL 3, BUF 3 | Period 2, 16:00 – Justin Hryckowian (14) unassisted

DAL 4, BUF 3  | Shootout (GWG) – Wyatt Johnston

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Full highlights

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The Sabres' Round 1 playoff series against Boston begins either Saturday or Sunday. Stay tuned for the series schedule and read up on the matchup here.