The Buffalo Sabres were on the ice Saturday afternoon to wrap up their preseason schedule with a home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins seemed to be in control of this game from start to finish, with two goals in the first period.
They continued to keep the pressure on Buffalo in the second with two goals but both were waived off after successful coaches' challenges. In the third, the Sabres kept the game within reach with their first goal of the game on a power play, but the Penguins put an end to any kind of comeback with an empty-net goal in the final minutes.
While it is only preseason, there are a few notable takeaways from the game on Saturday for the Buffalo Sabres.
Matt Grzelcyk makes Sabres debut but is going to need some time to get up to speed
The Buffalo Sabres on Friday announced the signing of defenseman Matt Grzelcyk to a one-year deal. Even though it was only about 24 hours since he signed with the team, the Sabres had Grzelcyk out on the ice against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and he played about 16 minutes and finished with a +/- of -2, along with two hits and two blocked shots.
For all things considered, for a player who didn't have a training camp and really didn't even have a practice with his new team, he looked fine. However, it is clear he is going to need some time with his new teammates to get familiar and on the same page with the rest of the blueline.
Whether or not Grzelcyk is on the ice for the regular season opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets will likely be determined by the availability of Olen Zellweger and Mattias Samuelsson. If both are unable to play, Grzelcyk should be able to get the job done on the third pair and provide 12-14 minutes.
Lindy Ruff on point with coaches' challenges
The Sabres would lose 3-1 on Saturday, but the score could have been much worse if it weren't for head coach Lindy Ruff challenging two Penguins goals in the second period. The first goal was about midway through the period and Evgeni Malkin would get a rebound past Luukkonen. However, the goal would be waived off after it was ruled there was goalie interference.
Later in the period, the Penguins once again would score off a rebound, and Lindy Ruff would challenge but this time for offside. This one wasn't as close and was pretty obvious, as Sidney Crosby was clearly offside entering the zone.
Another potential injury for the Buffalo Sabres?
There is no question that one of the biggest storylines for the Buffalo Sabres this preseason has been injuries. In the game against the Blue Jackets, it was Olen Zellweger and Mattias Samuelsson; against the Red Wings on Thursday night, it was Alex Lyon and Jiri Kulich and unfortunately, it looks like Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen might have suffered an injury in the third period against the Penguins.
While there was no official announcement, as Paul Hamilton of WGR550 notes, the timing was odd as it was only a few minutes into the third period. Luukkonen also didn't remain on the bench and went to the locker room, which is typically a sign that there might be some kind of injury.
Hopefully, this is nothing more than precautionary if it is an injury, because otherwise the Sabres might have some concerns at a key position with the regular season this close.
Buffalo Sabres power play shows some life against the Penguins
The power play has been a pain point for the Buffalo Sabres for the past two seasons but they have taken some steps this summer and in training camp to try and correct that. They have done research and looked to Eric Staal to help them find some success on the man advantage.
On Saturday, the Sabres would move the puck around and keep moving closer to the net. McLeod would pass it to Owen Power, who sent it right back to McLeod. The forward had a wide-open net and didn't miss to cut the Penguins' lead to one.
Clouder with the one-timer on the power play 🚨#LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/QlbJJ4FzPl
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) September 26, 2026
It was good to not only see them get a power play goal but it came from the team's second unit. One game in the preseason doesn't change everything but it at least shows the Sabres might be heading in the right direction.
The Sabres wrap up the preseason going 1-2-1 and will now have some time to get ready for the regular season. Their first game is on Thursday, October 1st, against the Columbus Blue Jackets with the home opener two days later against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Add us as a preferred source on Google