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3 major takeaways from Pittsburgh Penguins' 3-2 loss in preseason game vs Buffalo Sabres
While it may only be exhibition play, the Buffalo Sabres have improved to a perfect 2-0 in the young schedule following Tuesday night's 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena. It was the second straight win by the Sabres over the Penguins, as they bested them by a 7-3 final at KeyBank Center in Buffalo last Saturday evening.
Buffalo's goal scorers included Graham Slaggert, Nikita Novikov, and Anton Wahlberg, while Pittsburgh got tallies from Kevin Hayes and Jack St. Ivany.
Michael Houser (17 saves on 19 shots) and Scott Ratzlaff (10 saves on 10 shots) split time in net for the Sabres, while Alex Nedeljkovic (13 saves on 16 shots) and Joel Blomqvist handled dual duties for Pittsburgh.
Here are our three biggest takeaways from Tuesday's rematch of Saturday night's drubbing.
#3. The Penguins are already experiencing injury trouble
While it may only be pre-season play, the Penguins lost a pair of players due to injury during Tuesday's game. Defenseman Filip Král departed in the third period after suffering a lower-body ailment, while Jonathan Gruden departed in the final frame as well.
For Král, his injury appeared to be more serious as he required assistance to get off the ice, immediately making his way toward the team dressing room for treatment.
While neither player is considered one of Pittsburgh's key figures or a shoo-in to make the final roster, their injuries would rob them of the valuable opportunity to make a lasting impression on the coaching staff and earn a full-time NHL job.
#2. Newcomer Kevin Hayes' performance was positive
Acquired from the St. Louis Blues via trade over the summer by GM Kyle Dubas, Hayes is aiming to prove that he can still be a productive player at the NHL level. He banged home a rebound early in the second period for his first unofficial goal since joining the Penguins, showing his nose for the net:
Afterward, Hayes described his goal and how he attempts to utilize his size as an advantage:
“Saw Glasser coming through the neutral zone to my side,” said Hayes. “Didn’t have a ton of space, so I went to the other side to find more space. He made a good play, cut to the middle, shot it. There was a rebound. I try to use my big frame as much as possible and go to the net.”
#1. Defenseman Jack St. Ivany is impressing
Signed to a three-year contract over the offseason, Ivany is hoping to maximize his potential in the exhibition schedule and punch his ticket to the NHL.
After playing most of last season in the American Hockey League, he's off to a good start, having scored the first goal of Tuesday's game.
“I feel like there’s tons of competition in here,” St. Ivany said. “Like the old saying, ‘iron sharpens iron,’ so we’re all just getting better in here and I know that everyone is coming to the rink working their hardest. It doesn’t matter who you are, I think everybody knows there is spots available, and everyone is pushing for one of them.”
The Pittsburgh Penguins are off until Saturday night when they travel to Detroit to take on the Red Wings in their third exhibition game.
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