The Buffalo Sabres continued to roll on home ice, flattening the Pittsburgh Penguins 7-3 in the finale of a brief two-game homestand at Key Bank Center on Thursday. The game featured a five-goal Buffalo offensive outburst that chased Pittsburgh starting goalie Tristan Jarry, the third win in a row from veteran goalie James Reimer, and contributions from Sabres youngsters getting an opportunity in the final month of the season.
Jiri Kulich scored the game-winner and added a second tally in the middle frame, fourth liner Tyson Kozak scored his third goal of the year and added a helper on Alex Tuch’s 28th goal of the year, and rookie Isak Rosen notched his first NHL point, assisting on Mattias Samuelsson’s fourth goal of the year. Rosen, who leads the AHL Rochester Americans with 27 goals, has been recalled on numerous occasions this season, but really has not been given much of a chance to make an impact with the big club, but on Thursday he played 19 shifts alongside Peyton Krebs and Tuch, and registered an assist in his 12th NHL game.
“I think Rosen made two or three plays that we haven’t seen. I thought you skated well, and there was a lot to like about his game,” Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said after the game. “I look at the play he made with maybe three or four minutes left, a play on the wall where he spun around and got a great exit to our guy in the middle of the ice. That’s a play that says to me that he’s committed to making the right play and feels comfortable with where that guy was on his back and to protect it and get it in the right place.”
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The 22-year-old winger will have a large role for the Amerks in the Calder Cup Playoffs, but the Sabres will be looking for Rosen to show he is capable of stepping up in the final 11 games of the regular season to show that he can earn a spot on the NHL roster next year.
The club practiced on Friday before heading to Philadelphia for the first of a three-game road trip against the Flyers at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday afternoon. Buffalo is playing back-to-back matinees and will take on Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on Sunday, which means that starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will see his first action since a 4-1 loss to Minnesota last Saturday.
Sabres Prospect Update – 2023 Draftees – Part 1Here is a quick update on the players selected in 2023:
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