Dahlin makes debut in preseason win over Penguins

Rasmus Dahlin insists he felt nervous at the start of his first preseason game in the NHL, even if it wasn't apparent to those in attendance at KeyBank Center. By the end of the contest, the rookie defenseman had done enough that nerves were likely the last thing on spectators' minds.
Dahlin finished with a game-high six shot attempts, including four shots on goal, in 21:32 as the Sabres withstood a late push by the Pittsburgh Penguins to earn a 3-2 win on Tuesday night.
Vladimir Sobotka, Jake McCabe and Jack Eichel scored goals for the Sabres, while Carter Hutton stopped all 14 of the shots he faced in two periods of action. Dahlin was on the ice for two of the Buffalo goals, his growing confidence apparent as the night progressed.

"I was a little bit nervous in the beginning but like I said before the game, after the first it was gone," Dahlin said. "It was fun. Good win, too."

The past few months have been a series of firsts for Dahlin - his first development camp, his first Prospects Challenge, his first NHL scrimmage. He's passed each of those tests with a level of skill and poise that makes it easy to forget he's 18 years old.
Sabres coach Phil Housley provided a reality check after the game, offering a reminder that room for growth still exists for a rookie who's not only transitioning to the NHL, but his first season in North America.

"I think I could sense the nerves, a little anxiety you know, finally getting to play in his first exhibition game in the NHL," Housley said. "You could see, he was calm, but I thought he needed a little more urgency in the first period just getting pucks up ice. He was stripped a couple times but that's just a young hockey player getting adjusted.
"Certainly, he created a lot of stuff for us, finding open people. The one thing I really like, every shot he takes it seems to hit the net. But his development's where it needs to be right now."
As the game progressed, Dahlin became increasingly active on the rush and in the cycle game. The true measure of his confidence came late in the first period, when he danced around the offensive zone with the puck and undressed two Penguins in the process.

McCabe, his defensive partner, compared the level of skill to another Sabre selected toward the top of the draft.
"Players like that are no different from when Jack comes into the league," he said. "These young studs that come into the league, they think the game differently. They see the game a little slower almost, the game slows down for them, and he's no different in that aspect.
"He's very poised with the puck, not a lot of panic in the game and that's something you can't teach."
After shaking off the first-game nerves on Tuesday, he should only be more poised as time progresses.
"You make your first pass, then it's gone,"he said. "Then you feel comfortable out there."

Case of the Blues

The offseason featured an influx of former St. Louis Blues coming to Buffalo, a list that included Patrik Berglund and Tage Thompson in addition to Hutton and Sobotka. After Berglund and Thompson combined for three points on Monday, it was time for latter two players to impress in their debuts against Pittsburgh.
They didn't disappoint. Sobotka scored on the power play when a shot by Eichel caromed off his body then, deflected off two Penguins and into the Pittsburgh net. He also added an assist McCabe's goal, and Housley was impressed with his play on a line with C.J. Smith and Justin Bailey.

Hutton was a perfect 14-for-14 on save opportunities prior to being replaced by Scott Wedgewood for the third period.
"It's one of those things, there's nothing you can really do in camp to get that game-like speed and traffic," he said. "It was good. I thought I tracked the puck pretty well, I think that's the biggest thing."

McCabe gets on the board

The last time McCabe had taken the ice for a game at KeyBank Center was Feb. 6 against Anaheim. He played 8:48 that night before sustaining a broken thumb, then opted for season-ending surgery to repair a shoulder injury that had been nagging him for years.
He put that shoulder to the test in his return, making his presence felt with a game-high seven hits, and scored his net by crashing the net and cashing in on an Evan Rodrigues rebound.

The play was an example of the type of five-man offense that the Sabres have been developing since Housley took over last season.
"That's just our systems, right there," McCabe said. "It's no different than last year. We want our D and forwards to get involved. That was just a high cycle with me and Evan there, I just end up going to the net and he found me on the back side there.
"That's just our systems there and the core six of us, whoever's playing each night, we want to be involved and we want to contribute offensively."

Jack Eichel, presented without comment

Video: PIT@BUF: Eichel pots SHG with slick move

Pekar assigned to Barrie

The Sabres announced after the game that the team has assigned forward Matej Pekar to the Barrie Colts, where he'll begin his first season in the OHL. Pekar explained his decision to decommit from the University of Miami (Ohio) in favor of playing Canadian junior hockey earlier this month.
The Sabres have 50 players remaining on their training camp roster.

Up next

The Sabres return to Harborcenter for a pair of practice sessions on Thursday. The first session runs from 9:45 to 11:15 a.m., the second from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
The Sabres will continue their preseason schedule with a home-and-home set against the Toronto Maple on Friday and Saturday, the second of which will be played at KeyBank Center with puck drop set for 7 p.m. Both games can be seen live on MSG-B.