Buffalo will play most of their starting lineup against Pittsburgh
The Buffalo Sabres will take on the Pittsburgh Penguins in the preseason opener at Key Bank Center on Saturday, with a lineup that will closely resemble the group that will start the season against the New Jersey Devils on October 4-5 in Prague.
Ukka-Pekka Luukkonen will get the start and will play the full 60 minutes for Buffalo. Head coach Lindy Ruff indicated on Friday that the players that are likely to constitute the starting roster for the club will play at least one and perhaps both of the preseason games before they head to Europe early next week.
Rasmus Dahlin will not play due to an unspecified injury suffered on Wednesday, but that is not expected to keep him out of the lineup long-term.
Sabres Lines vs. Pittsburgh (as of Saturday’s Morning Skate)
Forward
Peterka-Thompson-Tuch
Benson-Cozens-Quinn
Lafferty-Malenstyn-Aube-Kubel
Kulich-Krebs-Rousek
Defense
Bryson-Clifton
Byram-Power
Samuelsson-Jokiharju
Goalie
Luukkonen
Reimer
The only line of likely starters that will not suit up is the unit of Jason Zucker, Ryan McLeod, and Jordan Greenway, who participated in the second scrimmage on Saturday morning. Team Blue edged out Team White 4-3 on a Mason Jobst shootout goal.
Team Blue vs. Team White on Saturday
Blue
Forward
Kisakov-Helenius-Nadeau
Jobst-Tullio-Rosen
Slaggert-Warren-Dunne
Defense
Prow
Laaouan
Komarov
Brunet
Clague
Poolman
Goalie
Sandstrom
White
Forward
Greenway-McLeod-Zucker
Wahlberg-Murray-Ostlund
Cheveldayoff-Fiddler-Schultz-Tischke
Defense
Rathbone
Gilbert
Johnson
Metsa
Novikov
Goalie
Levi
Box Score
1st
BLUE Komarov
2nd
BLUE Kisakov (Nadeau)
WHITE Tischke
WHITE Novikov
BLUE Tullio
WHITE Metsa
SO
BLUE Jobst
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