Game Preview | 5 things to know before Sabres at Penguins

PITTSBURGH – The Buffalo Sabres improved to 7-6-1 on the season and 6-3-1 in their last 10 games with a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Wild on Friday inside KeyBank Center. The Sabres close out their back-to-back set Saturday night in Pittsburgh and will look to finish the weekend with a second straight win.

Coverage on MSG/MSG+ begins at 7 p.m. The puck drops at 7:30 on MSG and WGR 550. 

Here are five things to know.

1. Last night out

Buffalo never trailed Friday in what Sabres coach Don Granato described as a “gut-check” victory over the Wild.

Henri Jokiharju scored the Sabres’ first goal of the game while Jeff Skinner and JJ Peterka each tallied a goal and an assist.

Goaltender Devon Levi posted 33 saves in his sixth start of the season.

For more on Friday’s win, check out the postgame report here.

2. Injury updates

Dylan Cozens returned to action versus Minnesota after a two-game absence due to an upper-body injury he sustained in a fight with Philadelphia forward Garnet Hathaway on Nov. 3. In his first game back, the forward logged 14:05 of ice time and recorded 2 shots and a plus-1 rating.

UPDATE - 6 p.m.

Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson has been activated from injured reserve and will play against the Penguins after missing the past three games with a lower-body injury.

Alex Tuch, who missed Friday's game, did not make the trip to Pittsburgh and remains day to day with an upper-body injury, Granato announced.

3. In the crease

The Sabres have not announced who their starting goaltender will be versus the Penguins, but the back half of the back-to-back set could line up Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to make his sixth start of 2023-24.

Luukkonen has recorded a 3-2-1 record in six appearances this season, including a 3-1-1 record in his five starts. In his last start, Luukkonen made 24 saves as Buffalo picked up a point in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Nov. 7.

4. Tommer Time

With an assist in Friday’s game against the Wild, Tage Thompson extended his point streak to three games (1+2). He has tallied 11 points (5+6) in his last eight games, including at least one point in six of those contests.

Thompson currently leads all Sabres skaters in road goals (5) and road points (9) through the team’s first 14 games.

5. Scouting the Penguins

Pittsburgh is returning from a trip out west, which saw the Penguins post a 3-0-0 record and improve to 6-6-0 in 2023-24.

Jake Guentzel leads the team with 15 points (5+10) in 12 games while Sidney Crosby is currently riding a seven-game point streak, tallying four goals and five assists in that span.

Goaltender Tristan Jarry was the first goalie of the ice at Pittsburgh’s morning skate and is expected to start in goal for the Penguins after missing last game with an eye injury. Jarry has a 2.51 goals-against average and .907 save percentage in nine appearances this season.