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Sabres aim to end road futility vs. Stars

Jan 24, 2008 - 3:21 PM Buffalo (20-21-6) at Dallas (28-19-5) 8:30 pm EST

DALLAS (Ticker) - The Buffalo Sabres aim to end a franchise-record eight-game road losing streak when they visit the Dallas Stars on Thursday.

Buffalo is coming off an embarrassing 6-2 loss at Phoenix on Monday, and has not won on the road since a 6-5 shootout win over Philadelphia on December 22.

In the midst of a seven-game road trip, the Sabres will have plenty of chances to pick up their first road win in over a month. But if they are to do so they need a better defensive effort. Buffalo has allowed 10 goals in the last two games - four on the power-play.

"There has been times where we haven't handled adversity in a game, whether it has been bad goals, tough calls or poor penalty-killing," Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said after Monday's loss.

"There is frustration that builds up in a game, and when you have been riding the type of streak we have been riding, you expect some of that to be there," Ruff said.

While the Sabres' penalty-killing unit has struggled, they have also failed to convert their own power-plays going 0-for-29 during the eight-game stretch.

Meanwhile, Dallas is coming off a 4-2 loss to Columbus on Tuesday. The Stars, who are wrapping up a four-game homestand, are 15-8-2 here this season.