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Bishop’s shutout, Benn’s goal help Stars beat Sabres 1-0
DALLAS (AP) — Ben Bishop was so solid in net it didn't matter that the Dallas Stars were held under two goals for the fifth time in six games.
Jamie Benn scored in the first period and Bishop stopped 30 shots to help Dallas beat the Buffalo Sabres 1-0 on Wednesday night.
"As the game progressed, I thought (Bishop) got better and better," Stars coach Jim Montgomery said. "In the third, he was our best player and he had to be and he really broke pucks out really well."
Bishop made 13 saves in the final period, earning his third shutout this season and the 27th of his career. He is 11-0-1 against Buffalo.
"I've got to keep it going. I don't want to talk about it," Bishop said with a laugh. "So far, so good, and knock on wood. I don't know what it is about them."
Benn scored 8:39 in off a pass from ex-Sabre Taylor Fedun. Benn stickhandled to the front of the net, put the puck on his forehand and sent a wrist shot inside the right post.
"There was kind of a slow-moving puck out of the zone," Fedun said, "and I was able to grab it before it hit the blue line, and then (Benn) was able to beat his guy back to the net. When you see a guy like Jamie Benn going to the net and he's all alone, it's a pretty mindless play to just slide it to him."
Linus Ullmark stopped Dallas' other 26 shots on goal.
"(Benn's) a terrific player. You saw their goal, kind of a nifty move and puts it five-hole," he said.
Buffalo appeared to score 4:28 into the third when Marco Scandella's shot from the left point went over Bishop and into the net. The goal was disallowed because a referee ruled Nathan Beaulieu interfered with Bishop.
The Sabres challenged the call, but a replay review upheld the decision.
"I was just driving the net," Beaulieu said. "On replay, it felt like I got pushed in, but it can go either way. I'm not going to argue. You can't overturn it now. You've just got to live with it."
Sabres coach Phil Housley defended his challenge.
"It could've gone to either way. I knew the call on the ice was a no goal, but I thought it was a good time to challenge. Unfortunately, it didn't go our way," he said.
Dallas holds the first wild card in the Western Conference, two points ahead of Colorado and Vancouver.
Buffalo fell three points behind Columbus for the second wild card in the East. The Sabres have 56 points to 59 for the Blue Jackets, who were knocked out of third place in the Metropolitan Division by Pittsburgh's win over Tampa Bay.
The Sabres were playing on back-to-back nights. Dallas hadn't played since Jan. 19.
"We knew they played last night, but we haven't played in 10 days, so I don't know who had the advantage," Bishop said.
Benn nearly scored a second goal in the first minute of the second period, but Ullmark turned away a backhand deflection off Benn's stick.
NOTES: Benn's team-leading 19th goal was his first in five games. ... D Rasmus Dahlin played for the first time in the arena where Buffalo selected him first overall in the 2018 draft. He had scored six goals in his previous seven games. ... Sabres RW Jason Pominville, 36, was a healthy scratch for the first time since April 4, 2006. ... Buffalo had not been shut out since a season-opening 4-0 loss to Boston. ... The Stars have four straight wins over Buffalo. ... Dallas improved to 2-3 on a six-game homestand. ... Each team committed only one penalty, both in the first period.
UP NEXT
Sabres: Begin a team record-tying seven-game homestand Friday against Chicago.
Stars: Complete their longest homestand of the season Friday vs. Minnesota.
