Alexandar Georgiev is set to play all 3 periods of his 2nd preseason game.
Following a pair of wins over Columbus to start the week, the Buffalo Sabres continue their preseason on Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena.
The Sabres will look to continue to implement the defensive, hardworking identity that carried them to wins in their first two exhibitions. They allowed a combined one goal in those games, with three goaltenders – Alexandar Georgiev, Alex Lyon and Devon Levi – combining for 40 saves on 41 shots.
“I thought, defensively, we were menaces,” forward Zach Benson said following Tuesday’s game, a 2-1 victory at home.
The puck drops at 7. Here’s what you need to know in the meantime.
Streaming (Buffalo broadcast market): Sabres.com
Radio: WGR 550
Here’s how Thursday’s game roster lined up during the morning skate. Forward Jiri Kulich “tweaked a muscle,” per head coach Lindy Ruff, and was scratched from the lineup.
Ruff also shared that Alexandar Georgiev, who shut out Columbus through 40 minutes Monday, is scheduled to play all three periods in Detroit.
Konsta Helenius is set to become the only Sabres’ skater to play in each of the team’s first three preseason games, setting the stage for the 19-year-old to continue his impressive camp.
Helenius deked his way to a highlight-reel goal late during Monday’s victory in Columbus. On Tuesday, he strung together a dominant shift in the offensive zone – juking defenders to maintain possession before eventually crashing the net – to set up Jason Zucker’s winning goal.
Then, following a late-game hooking penalty, Helenius rebounded to play a crucial role as the Sabres protected their one-goal lead in a 5-on-6 situation.
“I thought his game was probably one of the best I’ve seen,” Ruff said. “His stick work was excellent.”
It’s all amounted to a promising start for the 2024 first-round pick, who was touted for his mature, two-way identity at the time of his draft and showed growth last season as a rookie in Rochester.
“I think he’s going to be a really good player in this league for a long time,” Zucker said.
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