Game Preview | 5 things to know before Sabres vs. Flyers

Lukas Rousek will make his season debut Friday when the Buffalo Sabres host the Philadelphia Flyers at KeyBank Center, Sabres coach Don Granato announced.

Rousek was recalled from the Rochester Americans on Thursday with goaltender Eric Comrie and forward Zach Benson having been placed on injured reserve.

The 24-year-old forward has six points (2+4) in eight games for the Amerks this season. In 2022-23, Rousek played the first two games of his NHL career with the Sabres, tallying a goal and an assist.

Alex Tuch will also be in the lineup after taking a maintenance day Thursday.

“Yesterday was just a maintenance day," Tuch said after participating in an optional morning skate Friday. "No issues, no concerns. I never thought for a second I wasn’t going to play tonight. So, feeling good. Ready to go."

The Sabres will be back in their black-and-red third jerseys as they conclude their home-and-home set with the Flyers.

Buffalo has posted a 2-0-0 record in its goathead jersey this season, outscoring opponents 7-1 and improving to 12-1-1 while wearing the jerseys dating back to last season.

Tickets are available here.

Faceoff is slated for 7 p.m. on MSG/MSG+ and WGR 550. Coverage on MSG begins at 6:30 p.m.

Here are five things to know ahead of Friday’s game.

1. The lineup

The team did not run line rushes during the optional morning skate.

Here’s how the group lined up for practice Tuesday, minus Tuch and Rousek, both of whom will be in the lineup versus the Flyers.

Forwards

12 Jordan Greenway – 72 Tage Thompson – 15 Brandon Biro

53 Jeff Skinner – 37 Casey Mittelstadt – 77 JJ Peterka

17 Tyson Jost – 24 Dylan Cozens – 71 Victor Olofsson

28 Zemgus Girgensons – 19 Peyton Krebs – 21 Kyle Okposo

Defensemen

26 Rasmus Dahlin – 23 Mattias Samuelsson

25 Owen Power – 10 Henri Jokiharju

75 Connor Clifton – 6 Erik Johnson

Goalies

1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

27 Devon Levi

2. In the crease

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was the first goalie off the ice at morning skate and is expected to make his fourth start of the season after posting a win in each of his first three starts.

Luukkonen has stopped 61 of 63 shots in his last two games, including a 23-save outing for his first NHL shutout against the Avalanche on Oct. 29 and a 38-save performance versus the Flyers on Wednesday.

3. Clifton returns

Defenseman Connor Clifton will be back in the lineup Friday, returning from his two-game suspension for a hit on New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier on Oct. 27.

Granato said he does not want Clifton to stop playing his physical game.

“You’ve thrown hundreds and hundreds of hits and not been suspended, so you hope he can get right back to finishing hits and not worrying about it,” Granato said. “He does have to play physical and I think he’s proven to be very intelligent at doing it the right way, so the quicker he can get back to that the better for us.”

4. Recent recalls

Granato shared that the injuries to Benson and Comrie have given the Sabres an opportunity to get a better look at the depth the organization has.

He said that Biro's and Rousek's recalls are a testament to their hard work and progression over multiple seasons in Rochester.

"It says a lot and it says that they have a lot of detail to their game," Granato said. "They’re very responsible players, yet they have enough skill to make a play when there’s a play to be made otherwise. And they’ve been fun to watch. I watched them grow and develop over the last couple years and have been very impressed with that progression. So, I think they’ve earned an opportunity.”

5. Scouting the Flyers

Samuel Ersson will start in goal against the Sabres, Flyers coach John Tortorella announced Friday. 

Goaltender Carter Hart, who left midway through the first period on Wednesday with an injury, is day to day with a mid-body injury. Forward Sean Couturier is also day to day with a lower-body injury. 

Travis Konecny leads the Flyers with 11 points (8+3) in 10 games while defenseman Travis Sanheim has 10 points (1+9) in 10 games.