Sharpen Up | Sabres back in black and red third jerseys this Saturday

The Buffalo Sabres kick off a three-game week Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings at KeyBank Center.

The Sabres are 10-13-2 through their first 25 games and currently sit just four points shy of a wild card spot.

As the team is dealing with several injuries, coach Don Granato will be receiving updates on the status of forwards Alex Tuch, Jordan Greenway, Zemgus Girgensons, and Tage Thompson on Monday.

Tuch exited Sunday's game versus the Nashville Predators due to an injury with 12:26 remaining in the third period and did not return. The Sabres lost Greenway the night prior to an upper-body injury, which he sustained during the first period of Saturday's contest in Carolina.

Thompson has not played since Nov. 14, when he took a shot by Charlie McAvoy off his wrist during the Sabres' 5-2 loss to the Boston Bruins. Granato said Thompson has resumed skating and has an appointment Monday to learn more about the timeline for his return.

Here's everything else you need to know heading into the week.

NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE NIGHT

The team is proud to partner with Seneca Resorts and Casinos for Native American Heritage Night as the Sabres host the Red Wings on Tuesday. The night will support Native American groups in Western New York while honoring their history in the area.

Tickets are available here. 

The game can be streamed exclusively on ESPN+/Hulu with puck drop scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Dan Dunleavy and Rob Ray will have the radio call on WGR 550.

BACK IN BLACK AND RED

The Sabres will be back in their black and red third jerseys this Saturday versus the Montreal Canadiens. The team will wear the popular goathead jersey for the first time since Nov. 3 and for the first of three games in the month of December. 

Buffalo is 12-2-1 while wearing its third jersey, dating back to last season.

Want to see the team in black and red?  Secure your seats here.

LEVI'S FIRST AHL WIN

General manager Kevyn Adams and his staff made the decision to loan Devon Levi to the Rochester Americans last Tuesday, a move made to give the young goaltender time to develop and allow him to see consistent games and practice time in Rochester.

"This is a great opportunity to find some flow in my game,” Levi said after his first practice in Rochester. “This gives me an opportunity to play and look back and reflect on what went well and what didn’t go as well and how I can be better for when I get the call. But as of right now, my mind’s where my feet are and that’s Rochester.

"I take this as an opportunity to go back up. Not go back up to the NHL, but bring my game up to another level.”

In his first AHL start last Friday, the 21-year-old put together a 40-save performance before turning aside all four skaters in the shootout to lead the Amerks to a 3-2 victory over the Belleville Senators and earn his first AHL win.

PROSPECTS UPDATE

1. Matt Savoie continues to produce for the Wenatchee Wild of the Western Hockey League. Since being reassigned to Wenatchee on Nov. 11, the forward has recorded 23 points (11+12) in 10 games, including seven multi-point performances.

In the first game of a home-and-home set with Portland on Friday, Savoie tallied three goals and one assist before registering a goal and two assists in the back half of the series on Saturday.

The 19-year-old added three points on Sunday (1+2) against Tri-City for 10 points in his last three games.

2. Jiri Kulich is currently tied for second among AHL skaters with 13 goals in 18 games. The center has posted six points (4+2) in his last five games for Rochester, including a two-goal night in the Amerks’ 4-2 loss to Belleville on Saturday.

3. Maxim Strbak has been named to Slovakia’s preliminary roster for the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, which will be held from Dec. 26, 2023 through Jan. 5, 2024 in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Strbak, 18, was drafted by the Sabres with the 45th-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and is expected to appear in his third World Junior Championship for Team Slovakia.

For more information, click here.

4. Vsevolod Komarov was traded from Quebec to Drummondville in the QMJHL on Sunday.

In 22 games for the Quebec Remparts, the defenseman tallied three goals and 16 assists for 19 points prior to the trade.

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