Alexandar Georgiev made 16 saves across two shutout periods and the Buffalo Sabres earned a 4-0 win in their preseason opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on Monday.
Buffalo’s roster for the game featured a mix of veterans and prospects, headlined by several newcomers to the team. That group included offseason acquisitions Justin Danforth, Josh Doan, Michael Kesselring and Georgiev along with first-round draft pick Radim Mrtka.
Kesselring, Mrtka, and Doan all tallied assists while Bowen Byram, Beck Malenstyn, Jack Quinn and Konsta Helenius scored goals.
The win was a strong first impression for Georgiev, who signed a one-year contract on Sept. 11 following a late-offseason injury to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. The 29-year-old has twice led the NHL in wins – including as recently as 2023-24 – but is looking to rebound from last season, when he had an .875 save percentage for Colorado and San Jose.
“[I want to] get back to where I’m one of the better goalies in the league, for sure,” Georgiev said Monday morning. “I’ve played a lot of games, got to an All-Star (Game) – this is my level and I want to get back to that and be a big part of getting to the playoffs here.”
Devon Levi made a scheduled relief appearance in the third period and stopped each of the six shots he faced. Levi is expected to play the third period again in Buffalo’s home preseason game against Columbus on Tuesday.
