BUFFALO — Sidney Crosby found the net for the first time this preseason, driving the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Arena on Saturday in the final tune-up for both clubs.
Crosby scored on a slap shot from the left circle at 9:00 of the opening period. Ville Koivunen followed less than two minutes later, finishing a backhand from the blue paint at 10:56 to put Pittsburgh in control early.
Quick facts
- Penguins 3, Sabres 1 at KeyBank Arena in Buffalo.
- Sidney Crosby scored his first goal of the preseason.
- Arturs Silovs stopped 23 shots for Pittsburgh.
- Pittsburgh ended preseason play at 2-2-0; Buffalo finished 1-3-0.
- The Hurricanes blanked the Predators 6-0 in Nashville, with Jackson Blake posting a goal and two assists.
Ryan McLeod got Buffalo back within a goal at 11:30 of the second period, beating Silovs from the right circle on the power play. That was all the Sabres could solve against the Penguins goaltender.
Nicholas Robertson sealed the result with an empty-netter with 1:05 remaining. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 15 saves for Buffalo before departing during the third period, and Colten Ellis turned aside all six shots he faced in relief.
Pittsburgh opens its regular season Wednesday against the Philadelphia Flyers at 7:30 p.m. ET on HBO Max, truTV and TNT. Buffalo begins Thursday at the Columbus Blue Jackets, with puck drop set for 7 p.m. ET on CBJHN, CBJNHL and MSG-B.
Hurricanes finish with six-goal shutout
NASHVILLE — Jackson Blake supplied a goal and two assists as the Carolina Hurricanes closed their preseason with a 6-0 road win over the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena.
Carolina finished 3-1-0 in exhibition play behind a 22-save shutout from Brandon Bussi. Nashville ended its preseason slate at 1-3-0, with Juuse Saros making 20 saves.
Blake opened the scoring on a power play at 5:02 of the first period, firing from the left circle. Jordan Martinook extended the lead at 7:04 when he scored from the slot area off a feed from Nikolaj Ehlers.
Ehlers, who added an assist, made it 3-0 at 13:29 of the first. He forced a turnover in the Carolina zone, carried the puck the length of the ice and beat Saros with a wrist shot from the right circle for his first preseason goal.
Logan Stankoven pushed the margin to four at 16:37 of the second. Mark Jankowski added another power-play goal at 9:21 of the third, converting a one-timer from outside the left circle.
Andrei Svechnikov completed the scoring with 55 seconds remaining. His shot in front deflected into the Nashville net off defenseman Adam Wilsby’s skate.
The Hurricanes open the regular season at home Tuesday against the Florida Panthers at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Predators return home Thursday to face the Minnesota Wild at 8 p.m. ET on Wild+, MINNHL and SCRIPPS.
