Jake Oettinger pitched a 22-save shutout as the Buffalo Sabres fell 2-0 to the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center on Saturday.
It’s the second clean sheet Oettinger has secured against the Sabres this season, the first being a 4-0 win at KeyBank Center on Oct. 8.
The goaltender at the other end of the ice, though, was just as sharp. Buffalo’s Alex Lyon, making his second straight start after his season debut on Thursday in Chicago, stopped 28 of 30 Dallas shots, including a few crucial stops down the stretch to keep his team within striking distance.
Dallas scored its first goal at the 16:23 mark of the second period. Jamie Benn cleaned up a loose puck atop Lyon’s crease and secured the 1,000th point of his NHL career.
The Sabres had a furious rally in the third period in an attempt to tie the game, peppering Oettinger with 11 shots in the final 20 minutes after combining for just 11 shots in the first two periods.
Buffalo’s comeback hopes were spoiled when Wyatt Johnston scored a power-play goal in the final minute to cushion the Stars’ lead. The Sabres had pulled Lyon before taking a penalty with the 6-on-5 advantage.
The Sabres went 0-for-5 on the power play in the game, including two unsuccessful attempts in the third period, while the Stars went 1-for-5.
