Sabres try to stop a slide against Stars in Dallas

Buffalo arrives in Dallas on a skid. The Sabres are 8-7-4 with 20 points, ninth in the Eastern Conference, and they have lost four of their last five (LLLWL). The road has been kinder than the recent run, though: they are 4-1-4 away from home. Alex Lyon starts in goal with a 2.87 GAA and an .880 save percentage over one game.

The Stars are 10-6-2 with 22 points, sixth in the West, and they have won three of their last five (LWLWW). They are only 6-5-0 at home. Jake Oettinger starts with a 2.33 GAA and a .895 save percentage across 14 games. Dallas also leads the season series 1-0.

Chirp's Sim likes the Stars in 56% of 10,000 simulations, with the Sabres at 44%. It points to the goaltending edge, Oettinger's .895 against Lyon's .880, and to the recent form gap. The most likely final is Stars 4, Sabres 3.