Dallas Stars at Buffalo Sabres
NHL game between the Dallas Stars and the Buffalo Sabres on Oct 08, 2026. Final score: Dallas Stars 4, Buffalo Sabres 0.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Oct 08, 2026 |
| Venue | KeyBank Center |
| Dallas Stars score | 4 |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 0 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Mikko Rantanen | R | 1 | 3 | 2 | 15:27 | 0.12 | 2.72 |
| 2nd | Wyatt Johnston | C | 0 | 3 | 1 | 16:40 | 0.04 | 2.08 |
| 3rd | Roope Hintz | C | 1 | 0 | 6 | 14:57 | 0.79 | 1.27 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Dallas Stars–Buffalo Sabres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 09:03 | DAL | Jason Robertson | Mikko Rantanen, Wyatt Johnston | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 2nd 09:36 | DAL | Sam Steel | Thomas Harley, Mikko Rantanen | 5v5 | 2–0 |
| 2nd 13:57 | DAL | Mikko Rantanen | Nils Lundkvist, Wyatt Johnston | 5v5 | 3–0 |
| 2nd 15:34 | DAL | Roope Hintz | Wyatt Johnston, Mikko Rantanen | 4v5 | 4–0 |
Team Comparison
| Dallas Stars | Buffalo Sabres | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 4 | 0 |
| Shots on goal | 18 | 26 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.31 | 2.84 |
| High-danger shots | 17 | 20 |
| Corsi % | 38.2% | 61.8% |
| Power play | 1/2 | 0/3 |
| Faceoff % | 62.3% | 37.7% |
| Hits | 22 | 23 |
| Blocks | 17 | 8 |
| Giveaways | 22 | 17 |
| Takeaways | 6 | 3 |
Dallas Stars Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mikko Rantanen | R | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 15:27 | 0.12 | 2.72 |
| Wyatt Johnston | C | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 16:40 | 0.04 | 2.08 |
| Roope Hintz | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 14:57 | 0.79 | 1.27 |
| Jason Robertson | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 15:14 | 0.52 | 1.21 |
| Thomas Harley | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 23:35 | 0.01 | 0.92 |
| Sam Steel | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 15:31 | 0.11 | 0.91 |
| Nils Lundkvist | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 18:08 | 0.00 | 0.80 |
| Miro Heiskanen | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:40 | 0.03 | 0.64 |
| Oskar Bäck | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:22 | 0.00 | 0.56 |
| Radek Faksa | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:11 | 0.28 | 0.56 |
| Colin Blackwell | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12:18 | 0.24 | 0.45 |
| Jamie Benn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:26 | 0.10 | 0.42 |
| Esa Lindell | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21:57 | 0.00 | -0.04 |
| Arttu Hyry | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:02 | 0.00 | -0.06 |
| Tyler Myers | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:30 | 0.03 | -0.09 |
| Justin Hryckowian | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:48 | 0.00 | -0.21 |
| Lian Bichsel | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:34 | 0.00 | -0.24 |
| Tyler Seguin | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:40 | 0.02 | -0.29 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:16 | 0.39 | 0.32 |
| Olen Zellweger | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:43 | 0.09 | 0.29 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:39 | 0.02 | 0.24 |
| Jiri Kulich | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:42 | 0.09 | 0.23 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 26:24 | 0.06 | 0.21 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 19:08 | 0.36 | 0.16 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 25:23 | 0.03 | 0.15 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:01 | 0.07 | 0.02 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:55 | 0.02 | -0.07 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 18:18 | 0.50 | -0.08 |
| Justin Danforth | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:44 | 0.22 | -0.09 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:26 | 0.45 | -0.09 |
| Josh Norris | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14:19 | 0.18 | -0.19 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:57 | 0.16 | -0.24 |
| Noah Ostlund | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17:05 | 0.14 | -0.36 |
| Konsta Helenius | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:38 | 0.02 | -0.47 |
| Zach Metsa | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:33 | 0.04 | -0.49 |
| Louis Crevier | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:22 | 0.00 | -0.81 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Oettinger | Dallas Stars | 26 | 26 | 100.0% | 2.84 | W |
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | Buffalo Sabres | 14 | 18 | 77.8% | -1.69 | L |
Analysis
The Dallas Stars defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4–0 on Oct 08, 2026, a decisive 4-goal win.
Buffalo Sabres generated 2.84 expected goals to Dallas Stars's 2.31 — Buffalo Sabres owned the better of the chances but Dallas Stars took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it.
Mikko Rantanen led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.72 on 1 goal, 3 assists, 2 shots on goal.
Jake Oettinger stopped 26 of 26, worth 2.84 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Dallas Stars vs Buffalo Sabres game?
The Dallas Stars beat the Buffalo Sabres 4–0 on Oct 08, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Dallas Stars 4, Buffalo Sabres 0.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Mikko Rantanen led all skaters at 2.72, on 1G, 3A and 2 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Buffalo Sabres generated 2.84 expected goals and Dallas Stars generated 2.31, so Buffalo Sabres created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Dallas Stars put 18 shots on goal and Buffalo Sabres put 26. High-danger chances went 17 to 20.