The Buffalo Sabres took the ice for the first time this preseason in front of the home crowd at KeyBank Center. On Tuesday night, it was a lineup that looked pretty close to what fans are going to expect to see on a nightly basis for the Sabres, and they would cruise to a 5-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
However, the win might prove to be costly as the Sabres saw several players leave early due to injuries as Mattias Samuelsson and Olen Zellweger left in the second period. Then, in the third period, it was Jiri Kulich who appeared to suffer an injury as he skated slowly to the bench after taking a hit behind the net. Fortunately, he was able to return later in the period and finish the game.
Hopefully, none of the injuries were serious or long-term that might cost any of these players time to begin the season. However, there was some good, and these were three performances in particular that stood out for the Buffalo Sabres.
Noah Ostlund
The line of Noah Ostlund, Zach Benson, and Jack Quinn was incredible, and really any of those three could be mentioned here however Ostlund gets the callout after scoring two goals. The first goal was off a great feed by Benson that gave the Sabres a 2-0 lead in the second period.
Less than 30 seconds after that goal, the Sabres once again were on the rush, and Ostlund seemed to set up Benson for the goal. However, it hit the crossbar, and Ostlund was able to put in the rebound to push the lead to three.
This line has incredible potential with Quinn coming off a career season, Benson emerging as a star in the playoffs, and Ostlund being productive in his rookie season last year. If they continue to improve together and build on last season, the Sabres are going to have an excellent second line this season.
Owen Power
With the injuries suffered by Samuelsson and Zellweger, Owen Power probably played more than the coaching staff was planning on, and he finished the game leading the team with over 25 minutes of ice time. However, he used that extra time effectively with three goals and a +/- of +4.
Expectations are high for the former first overall pick after he had arguably the best season of his career and will need to take on a bigger role with Bowen Byram no longer in Buffalo. However, he seems ready to produce with that extra time if tonight's game is any indication.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkon
After a shaky performance by Alex Lyon against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen looked locked in against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He would stop all 13 shots he faced over the first two periods before being replaced by Colten Ellis for the third period.
With all the rumors from this summer around Connor Hellebuyck, it was great to see Luukkonen get off to a good start to the preseason. This should only help him going into the regular season as last year he didn't have the opportunity to play much in the preseason due to injuries.
The Sabres now have a break before they are back on the ice Thursday night in Detroit for their third preseason game of the year.
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