The Buffalo Sabres will play their fourth preseason game against the Detroit Red Wings at KeyBank Center on Saturday. The team currently holds a 2-1 record in the preseason.
Coach Lindy Ruff confirmed that Alex Tuch will make his first appearance of the preseason after missing three games due to injury. Tuch has been practicing with Ryan McLeod and Jason Zucker, both of whom are also expected to play on Saturday.
The Sabres recently secured a win over Columbus with a lineup similar to what is planned for Saturday, focusing on strong defensive play and goals from Tage Thompson and Jason Zucker. Their most recent game resulted in a 5-2 loss to Detroit, but the lineup featured mostly prospects facing many of Detroit’s regular NHL players.
Puck drop is scheduled for 3 p.m. Fans can stream the game on Sabres.com or listen via WGR 550 radio.
Goaltender Alex Lyon is set to start and play the full game. In his previous appearance against Columbus, Lyon stopped 13 out of 14 shots before Devon Levi took over in the third period. Coach Ruff also shared that Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen returned to practice after recovering from a lower-body injury and may participate in both remaining preseason games against Pittsburgh.
Ryan McLeod continues to build on last season’s performance, where he achieved career highs with 20 goals, 33 assists, and 53 points. He contributed an assist in Tuesday’s victory over Columbus and has been skating alongside Zucker and Tuch during practices.
Ruff commented on McLeod’s development: “He’s a great skater, obviously and I think with a bigger opportunity, his numbers went up,” Ruff said. “I think with the number of guys we had out and then he got kind of elevated in the lineup. He took advantage of that. He took advantage of being on the power play late in the year. I think it’d be like a sorting out period where I think with his speed, he can easily be a 20-goal guy for us and playing a real important role.”
Fans interested in attending future games can purchase tickets for the home opener scheduled for October 9.
