Buffalo Sabres vs. Dallas Stars - News - December 31, 2025 | FOX Sports

Noah Ostlund - Dishes pair of helpers Ostlund notched two assists in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Stars.

Impact Ostlund hadn't earned an assist in December, but he had four goals over eight games prior to Wednesday. While he didn't add to his scoring total, he helped out on goals by Bowen Byram and Tage Thompson in this win. Ostlund has looked good in a middle-six role so far, earning 12 points, 31 shots on net, 15 blocked shots and a plus-7 rating over 28 appearances this season. He should be on the radar in deeper fantasy formats, though he hasn't done enough for widespread appeal yet.

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Bowen Byram - One of each Wednesday Byram scored a goal on two shots, added an assist, logged three hits and went plus-3 in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Stars.

Impact Byram has three goals and four assists over his last five outings. The defenseman's goal late in the second period stood as the game-winner, and he also helped out on a Tage Thompson tally in the third. Byram is up to 20 points, 51 shots on net, 48 blocked shots, 26 hits and a plus-1 rating over 39 contests this season. He's never reached the 40-point mark in any of his first five campaigns, but he's on pace to do just that in 2025-26.

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Tage Thompson - Three points in win Thompson recorded two goals and an assist in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Stars.

Impact Thompson was a dominant presence on offense for the Sabres in the club's 10th straight win, as he participated directly in three of the team's four goals. The star center is up to 37 points (20 goals, 17 assists) so far, and he should continue to play a big role on offense for a red-hot Buffalo team. He's notched 14 points (seven goals, seven helpers) during the team's ongoing winning run.

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Josh Doan - Scores, assists Wednesday Doan scored a goal and added an assist in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Stars.

Impact Doan evened things up for the Sabres with a goal at the 7:44 mark of the second period, and he later assisted in the first of Tage Thompson's two goals. Doan remains a productive player for the Sabres, as he's racked up 11 goals and 15 assists so far. More importantly, this two-point performance ended a four-game pointless skid for the 24-year-old winger.

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Mavrik Bourque - Scores in loss to Buffalo Bourque scored a goal in Wednesday's 4-1 loss to the Sabres.

Impact Bourque broke the deadlock for the Stars just 15 seconds into the game with a snap shot, but that would be all the offense Dallas would muster throughout the game. Bourque should continue to see opportunities to produce due to his top-six role in the lineup, but he hasn't been at his best lately. He has notched just four points (two goals, two assists) over his last 10 outings.

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Casey DeSmith - Tagged with loss Wednesday DeSmith stopped 27 of 31 shots in Wednesday's 4-1 loss to the Sabres.

Impact DeSmith has been trending in the wrong direction of late, allowing three or more goals in each of his last three starts while dropping his previous two outings. DeSmith remains one of the best backups in the league, but he's trending in the wrong direction of late. He owns a 3-1-1 record, but with a 3.01 GAA and an .894 save percentage over his last five appearances.

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Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen - Excellent against Dallas Luukkonen stopped 28 of 29 shots in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Stars.

Impact Luukkonen was beaten once in the first period, but that would be all the damage he'd allow as the Sabres cruised to an easy win. The 26-year-old didn't play in five straight games between Dec. 9 and Dec. 20 due to his struggles, but he's turned things around of late and has won his last three starts. Over that stretch, he owns a 1.00 GAA and an impressive, yet unsustainable, .962 save percentage.

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