Stars 3, Sabres 0
DALLAS - Dallas Stars left winger Jamie Benn scored two goals, center Tyler Seguin had two assists and goaltender Antti Niemi stopped all 22 shots he faced as the Stars defeated the Buffalo Sabres 3-0 on Saturday night at American Airlines Center.
Benn recorded both of his goals in the third period, scoring a power-play goal off a rebound at 7:11 and then converting off the rush 1:53 later at 9:04 for his 14th goal of the season.
Benn's first goal came when he knocked in a carom after Sabres goaltender Chad Johnson turned away a wrist shot by center Jason Spezza from the right point. Benn scored his second of the night by beating Johnson top shelf to his short side off the rush.
Left winger Antoine Roussel also scored for Dallas (19-4-0), which won its fifth straight. Roussel delivered the eventual game-winner 6:22 into the game with a wrist shot from the left point which deflected off the stick of Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen before beating Johnson far post.
Roussel, who was celebrating his 26th birthday on Saturday, scored his fourth goal of the season with a shot that sailed in under Johnson's glove.
Niemi earned his second shutout of the season and 34th of his career.
Dallas rookie defenseman John Klingberg fed Roussel for the goal with a pass from the right circle inside the Dallas zone, hitting Roussel inside the neutral zone. Klingberg now has eight points (six assists) over his last five games.
Early in the second period, the Stars killed off a 54-second 5-on-3 power play resulting from a delay of game call on defenseman Jyrki Jokipakka with three seconds left in the first period. Buffalo was already on the power play after Roussel was whistled for interference with 1:09 remaining in the first.
Dallas also killed off the power play following the two-man advantage.
Buffalo killed off a four-minute power play midway through the second after left winger Evander Kane drew blood with a high-stick on Roussel at 8:54.
The Stars held a 1-0 lead after two periods.
Dallas defenseman Jason Demers suffered a lower-body injury during the second period and did not return.
Johnson stopped 29 of 32 shots for Buffalo, who lost its fourth straight.
NOTES: Sabres D Mark Pysyk (lower body) and C Tim Schaller were scratched. ... Stars D Jordie Benn (illness), LW Travis Moen and D Patrik Nemeth, who is on a conditioning assignment with AHL Texas, were scratched. ... This game marked the final regular-season meeting of these teams. ... Stars coach Lindy Ruff was behind the Buffalo bench between 1997-2013. ... Sabres G Chad Johnson returned to the crease after G Linus Ullmark started the previous two games. ... Stars G Antti Niemi was starting for only the third time over Dallas' last nine games. ... This game concluded a two-game trip for the Sabres. ... Dallas began a three-game homestand. ... Sabres coach Dan Bylsma coached Stars D Alex Goligoski for several seasons in Pittsburgh before Goligoski was traded to Dallas in 2011. ... Saturday's game was the third of four straight games for Dallas against Eastern Conference opponents.