The Buffalo Sabres will finish their preseason schedule on Saturday afternoon against the Pittsburgh Penguins. At this point of the preseason, the lineup and roster feel pretty well set for the beginning of the regular season and probably the biggest objective going into this game is to leave with everyone healthy.
In the preseason game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Olen Zellweger and Mattias Samuelsson left with injuries. Then on Thursday against the Red Wings, it was Alex Lyon and Jiri Kulich who left with injuries.
On Friday, Lindy Ruff seemed to be optimistic about all the players and their chances to be ready for the game against Columbus on October 1st, or be pretty close to returning around then.
Before we can get to the regular season, there is one more preseason game and these are the three players to watch closely against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Louis Crevier
Since Samuelsson's injury, Louis Crevier has been the player who has been paired with Rasmus Dahlin in practice. While it would have made sense to put Owen Power in that spot, it would have resulted in a pair of two left-handed players and a pair of two right-handed players.
As noted, Samuelsson's injury may not force him to miss as much time as initially expected, but this is a great opportunity for Crevier to show he can handle top-pair minutes and play at a high level next to Rasmus Dahlin. The hope is that Samuelsson doesn't miss any more time this season, but if he does, then Crevier might be the first option for the Sabres.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
It has been a tumultuous offseason for Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen after he struggled in the playoffs and then had to see all summer the rumors about the Sabres pursuing Connor Hellebuyck. In the end, the Sabres are heading into the season with the same three goalies they ended last season with and this will be another opportunity for Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to show he can be a reliable starter for Buffalo.
He took that first step in the preseason game against the Blue Jackets by stopping all 13 shots he faced over two periods of work. This game against the Penguins is going to be another great test for him because Pittsburgh is expected to have some of its top stars on the ice, like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
Josh Norris
With all the excitement around players like Zach Benson, Josh Doan, Noah Ostlund, and rookie Konsta Helenius, one player who has gotten lost in the shuffle a bit is Josh Norris. However, if healthy, the veteran center can be a difference-maker for this team.
That is the key, though as Norris has struggled to remain on the ice due to injuries. He has played in 56 or fewer games in each of the past five seasons between his time in Ottawa and Buffalo. This past season, he played in only 44 regular-season games, but when he was on the ice, he was productive as he had 34 points.
On Tuesday night, Norris showed once again that he can deliver with the first goal of the game off a pass by Owen Power. Another strong performance on Saturday, could give him plenty of momentum going into the season.
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