The Buffalo Sabres are looking for redemption on Saturday night against the Dallas Stars. They may turn to a seasoned veteran in the net.
Per Mike Harrington, Alex Lyon occupied the starter’s net at Saturday’s morning skate. It implies that Lyon could be getting his regular role back with the Sabres after his return from injury on Thursday night in a 3-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Lyon looked good in his 2026-27 regular-season debut with Buffalo, stopping 22 of 25 shots in what was a controversial win for Chicago. With Lyon again in the starter’s net, it further implies that head coach Lindy Ruff has faith that the veteran goaltender will be a part of Buffalo’s attempted early-season turnaround.
Lyon should give Ruff a reason to believe, given his performance last season. He saw action in 36 games and started 34. Lyon went 20-10-4, with a .907 save percentage, a 2.77 GAA, three shutouts, and a .676 quality starts percentage.
That said, the Stars will give Lyon and the Sabres a challenge. Dallas may have suffered an embarrassing 8-3 loss on Nov. 12 to the Winnipeg Jets. But the Stars are right in the thick of one of the NHL’s most competitive divisions.
Therefore, Buffalo should expect a rejuvenated team looking for a statement win. That’s why the skaters must hold their weight to help out who is presumed to be Lyon manning the net.
Buffalo Sabres Projected Lines And Pairings Against Dallas, Nov. 14
Harrington also shared the lines and pairings at the Sabres’ morning skate. He noted, “Crevier back out as scratch.”
The defensive pairings look like they will include Rasmus Dahlin and Mattias Samuelsson on the first. Both have 11 points this season — Dahlin in 16 games and Samuelsson in 19.
Owen Power and Conor Timmins look like the projected second pair. Power is tied for third on the team in points alongside Zach Benson, with 15. He continues to lead all Sabres defensemen in production.
Olen Zellweger looks to pair with Zach Metsa on the third. This will be Metsa’s 17th appearance this season, and he is slowly becoming a regular member of the rotation.
As for the forward lines, Peyton Krebs looks like he will center Benson and Tage Thompson. Tage is among the league leaders in scoring, with 12 goals in 19 games.
Jiri Kulich is slated to join Josh Norris and Josh Doan. This will be Kulich’s 12th appearance in 2026-27. He has three points and a goal so far.
Jason Zucker, Noah Ostlund, and Jack Quinn look like the third trio. With 19 points and nine goals, Quinn is still on a point-per-game pace.
Finally, Tyson Kozak, Ryan McLeod, and the hard-hitting Beck Malenstyn are the slated fourth line. It will be Kozak’s 12th appearance.
Sabres Look to End Skid Against Dallas
The Sabres have lost three straight and enter this one at 8-7-4 after starting November 7-4-3. By contrast, the Stars are 10-6-2. Both teams play in the NHL’s two toughest divisions, with playoff races already heating up in both.
Therefore, neither side can afford to concede many more bad losses as the second week of November comes to a close. Expect some urgency as Buffalo and Dallas continue to try to keep pace with their respective divisions.
Coverage starts at 8:00 p.m. for what could be an ultra-competitive matchup.
Sabres’ Alex Lyon May Be Getting Early Answer About His Role