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Sabres stay hot with win over struggling Stars

Stephanie Wippert / National Hockey League / Getty

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) Buffalo rookie forward Victor Olofsson set an NHL record by becoming the first player to score his first seven career goals on the power play, Carter Hutton made 25 saves to earn his first shutout of the season, and the Sabres continued their hot start with a 4-0 win over the Dallas Stars on Monday.

Sam Reinhart, Jeff Skinner and Marcus Johansson had the other goals and Jack Eichel recorded two assists for the Sabres. Olofsson also tallied an assist.

Buffalo (5-0-1) has earned a point in its first six games for the first time since the team went 6-0-2 through its first eight games of the 2008-09 season. The Sabres' 4-0 start at home is their best since 2006-07.

Dallas (1-5-1) continued its early struggles in opening a four-game road trip with a third straight loss.

Ben Bishop stopped 18 shots for the Stars. Bishop entered the game with a 12-0-1 record and consecutive shutouts against the Sabres.

Olofsson set his record on a one-timer off Rasmus Dahlin's pass from the right circle to open the scoring 6:27 into the second period. A delay of game penalty on the Stars' bench put the Sabres on the power play.

Nicknamed ''Goal-ofsson'' by Sabres fans, the 24-year-old Swede has five goals in Buffalo's first six games. His streak dates to the end of last season when he scored twice in six games. Since making his NHL debut on March 28, no NHL player has more power-play goals than Olofsson.

Olofsson set up the Sabres' second goal late in the second period. He sent a backhand pass from the boards to Reinhart for a one-timer from the high slot.

Skinner made it 3-0 with his fourth goal of the season 4:20 into the third period. After receiving a pass from Vladimir Sobotka in front of the crease, Skinner faked a shot before sweeping a backhander by Bishop.

Less than two minutes later, Johansson unloaded a slap shot from just inside the blue line for Buffalo's fourth goal.

NOTES: Three players shared the previous record for scoring their first six career goals on the power play: Winnipeg's Craig Norwich in 1979-90, Hartford's Sylvain Turgeon in 1983-84, and Jeff Norton of the Islanders in 1987-88. . Reinhart and Johansson both have three goals this season. . The Stars had won five straight and eight of nine against the Sabres. . The Sabres scored more than one goal against the Stars for the first time in five meetings. . Dallas shuffled its top lines by swapping centers Roope Hintz and Tyler Seguin. . Buffalo scratched F Curtis Lazar after calling him up from the minors on Sunday.

UP NEXT

Stars: Visit Columbus on Wednesday.

Sabres: Open three-game West Coast road trip at Anaheim on Wednesday.

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