PITTSBURGH - Of the 18 skaters the Buffalo Sabres dressed against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday, six entered the night with less than 10 games of NHL experience. Four of those players have never played a regular-season game at all.
That young lineup was tasked with facing a Penguins team that was icing its regular-season roster, complete with stars like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel and Kris Letang. The Sabres lost 5-1, but it was as good a glimpse as any into the type of pace it takes to be successful in the NHL.
"I thought, overall, our compete level and our effort was there," Sabres coach Phil Housley said. "You're playing a pretty good hockey team, the two-time Stanley Cup champions, and I thought it was just a valuable lesson for our young guys to learn the execution, the speed and the battle that you have to play in."
Loss to Penguins is a lesson in details for young Sabres
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