Camp Notebook | Sabres prepare for preseason finale Friday vs. Pittsburgh 

The Buffalo Sabres returned to practice at KeyBank Center on Thursday after a preseason road loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday.

The group will play its final exhibition contest Friday at 7 p.m. against the Pittsburgh Penguins at KeyBank Center. Tickets for the game are available here.

Coverage begins on MSG and WGR 550 at 6:30 p.m. with Dan Dunleavy and Rob Ray on the call.

Sabres coach Don Granato shared the plan will be to play a group that resembles the team’s opening night lineup, “minus one or two guys.”

Here are notes from Thursday's practice.

1. Here's how the group lined up for practice:

2. Granato provided an update on forward Matt Savoie, who has been out with an upper-body injury he sustained during Buffalo’s Prospects Challenge finale against Pittsburgh on Sept. 18.

Following practice, Granato shared that Savoie is making progress in his recovery and is expected to join the Sabres on the ice for their morning skate Friday.

“[He’s] still recovering though from the injury, but he’ll be able to practice with us to better gauge where he’s at,” Granato said. “And obviously, he’s got to get back to pace and conditioning cause he’s been out as long as he has.”

3. Erik Johnson is expected to make his preseason debut versus the Penguins after sitting out of Wednesday's game with lower-body aggravation. Last week, Granato emphasized how important practice is to allow newcomers like Johnson and Connor Clifton to acclimate to their new teammates and a new system.

On Thursday, Granato expressed his excitement to see Johnson - who has already held a leadership presence in the locker room - appear in his first game with the group.

"He’s easy to pick out in practice because of his size and how hard he works, and he’s exploding here and exploding there. So, to get in a game and get around our players and in our system is something we’re looking forward to, and tomorrow seems to be the day," Granato said.

4. In Wednesday's loss to the Blue Jackets, Zach Benson recorded his fifth point (3+2) in five preseason games. Two of his three goals have been game-tying tallies while his other was a game winner. Benson's confidence and production have impressed Granato, but more importantly, so has his ability to sustain it.

"He’s been good from onset," Granato said. "So, it doesn’t appear that he’s actually developed it through camp, he’s just shown yesterday what he showed on Day 1. There’s been no wear or tear or drop.

"He sustained it all the way through. So, I don’t look at it as if he’s gotten better. He was really good Day 1 and he’s been able to sustain it all the way through. He was one of our better players last night in the game again. That’s a real good indicator."

5. Devon Levi is set to start in his third preseason contest after posting 45 saves and a 2-0 record in his first two starts. After practice, Granato compared Levi to two goaltenders he is very familiar with from his playing days at the University of Wisconsin, Mike Richter and Curtis Joseph.

“He has a lot of attributes combined of those two guys. Curtis Joseph was an amazing athlete – flexibility, mobility, agility – and Mike Richter was very cerebral," Granato said. "... And Devon has both of those qualities. He’s an amazing athlete, quick. Quick as any goalie there is. So, he’s athletically gifted, but he also has that real cerebral side. So, it’s a combination of two that I think of and two pretty good ones."