Back to back vs. the Leafs. Notes and tonights Buffalo lineup

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-22-2017






It's a big weekend in Buffalo as the Sabres take on the Toronto Maple Leafs in a back-to-back beginning tonight while the Buffalo Bills welcome the Denver Broncos to New Era Field in Orchard Park.






The Sabres are still working their way through preseason with Game-3 on tap tonight and a revamped preseason roster. Four players were sent back to their junior clubs this week:  Brandon Hagel (Red Deer Rebels, WHL) Vasily Glotov (Shawinigan Cataractes, QMJHL) Vojtech Budik (Prince Albert Raiders, WHL) and Austin Osmanski Mississauga Steelheads, OHL.)






One player in particular who wasn't sent down was Cliff Pu (London Knights, OHL.) Pu has been having a very strong camp to go along with an impressive Prospects Challenge Tournament, something that certainly got head coach Phil Housley's attention. "I think he's had a great camp and it started with development camp," Housley said to the media yesterday. "We like his grit, we want to see him in another game hopefully soon in the next two … It's intriguing, trying to see where he can fit in. I think he's had an excellent camp up to this point and he's getting rewarded for it."






Pu could very well be in the lineup tonight Jon Vogel speculates that Group A from yesterday's practice looks to get the call  this evening at Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto:






67 Benoit Pouliot - 90 Ryan O'Reilly - 25 Seth Griffith
22 Johan Larsson - 10 Jacob Josefson - 13 Nicholas Baptiste
71 Evan Rodrigues - 28 Zemgus Girgensons - 52 Stevie Moses
44 Nicolas Deslauriers - 12 Kevin Porter - 59 Cliff Pu


19 Jake McCabe - 5 Matt Tennyson
47 Zach Bogosian/93 Victor Antipin - 38 Cody Goloubef
41 Justin Falk - 27 Taylor Fedun


35 Linus Ullmark
32 Adam Wilcox
33 Jason Kasdorf








Some notes:






Johan Larsson moves from center to wing while Zemgus Girgensons moves from wing to center While Seth Griffith and Benoit Pouliot get to ride shotgun on Ryan O'Reilly's wing. The third line is intriguing as Rodrigues and Stevie Moses are on the wing for Girgensons while Justin Falk and Taylor Fedun, who were a very good pairing last season in Buffalo, are together again.


Gametime is 7:30 p.m.