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Pittsburgh Penguins HC Mike Sullivan addresses team's 7-3 loss in first preseason game
The Pittsburgh Penguins fell 7-3 to the Buffalo Sabres in their first preseason game of the 2024-25 season on Saturday in Buffalo.
One bright spot for the Penguins was a hat-trick scored by Jesse Puljujarvi. The Sabres got goals from JJ Peterka, Owen Power, Henri Jokiharju, Sam Lafferty and Dylan Cozens.
After the game, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said:
"It's not an easy one to assess. ...They had a real strong lineup, and it was a really good test for our guys.
"For some of them, it's their first experience playing against NHL-caliber players, and so I thought we had moments in the game where our guys competed hard, and we hung in there."
With the Penguins icing a roster comprised mostly of young players and prospects, they faced a Sabres lineup filled with NHL regulars.
Fans react to Pittsburgh Penguins loss to Buffalo Sabres in first preseason game
Fans expressed mixed reactions following the Pittsburgh Penguins' 7-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres in their preseason opener. While some disappointment was evident, many maintained a positive outlook, considering the circumstances.
One fan pointed out the mismatch in lineups, with Buffalo fielding a more experienced roster compared to Pittsburgh's younger squad.
"Considering the line ups were completely mismatched, wasn’t too bad! If we could just erase that bad 2nd period that Blomma had, it’d been a close game. The youngins held their ground."
Another fan noted:
"An expected outcome when Buffalo plays their NHL roster instead of their preseason one. Don't worry, boys, you did good."
Here are some more fan reactions:
"I mean, just about as well as you could expect it to go with AHL vs NHL," one fan wrote on X.
"hat trick and still loses the game. welcome back Pittsburgh penguins!!!," another fan commented.
"Tell Lindy to keep doing what he's doing because that was better fundamental hockey than they've played in a long time," a user wrote.
"I mean I’m not mad. I will continue to drink tho, cheers!," another user wrote.
Sullivan also noted that it's a tough injury to recover from, but Puljujarvi put in a lot of effort to reach his level last year.
"That is not an easy injury to come back from, and he worked extremely hard to get to where he was last year. I think he's a whole lot stronger," said Sullivan on Puljujarvi's recovery (as per NHL.com).
Season Puljujarvi signed a two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins following hip surgeries in the 2023 offseason.
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