Penguins 4, Sabres 1: Buffalo's Opener Was About the Returns, Not the Result
Pittsburgh controlled the preseason opener at PPG Paints Arena, but the numbers Buffalo cared about were Jiri Kulich's 19 minutes and Justin Danforth's healthy night.
The scoreboard said Pittsburgh, comfortably. The Penguins beat the Sabres 4-1 on Monday night at PPG Paints Arena in both clubs' preseason opener, taking control early and never letting Buffalo's prospect-heavy lineup back into it.
How it went
Connor Dewar opened the scoring in the first period, and Bryan Rust added a power-play goal — Rust finished the night involved in three of Pittsburgh's four goals, per the Sabres' official recap. Avery Hayes made it 3-0 in the second before Jake Richard answered for Buffalo on the power play, and Elmer Soderblom sealed it into an empty net in the third. Alex Lyon stopped 16 of 19 for Buffalo through two periods; Colten Ellis was perfect on 8 shots in the third.
Buffalo's real box score
For a Sabres team that dressed mostly prospects and depth players, the result mattered less than who was on the ice. Jiri Kulich skated 19:39 with three shots on goal in his return after missing most of last season with a blood clot — the night's most meaningful stat line. Justin Danforth logged 17:32 with two shots and two hits in his own return from injury, and Zach Metsa led the team at 21:55, playing both special-teams units and assisting on Richard's goal, per the Sabres. Richard's goal came in his first professional exhibition since Buffalo drafted him in 2022.
Why it matters
Preseason openers are auditions, not statements. Pittsburgh's veterans looked sharp — Rust in particular — while Buffalo got the thing it actually needed from the night: healthy, effective minutes from two returning players and a debut goal from a prospect pushing for a look. The games that count start in two weeks; the bodies that make them count were the story here.