Preseason Game 3 Hub: Ottawa Senators vs Buffalo Sabres

We're still early in the preseason, where game results don't matter at all. That being said, for the Ottawa Senators, even winning their first few regulation games won't put us at ease. Nobody will seriously believe they've turned a corner unless they've got a winning record come December. So for now, just enjoy the wins as they come.

For tonight's matchup against the Buffalo Sabres, the Senators will be running a similar lineup to Game 1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, with slightly less NHL experience and Linus Ullmark expected to start in goal.

Facing off against Shane Pinto and friends will be a Sabres squad largely consisting of prospects and other AHL-caliber players, notably including recent 14th-overall selection Konsta Helenius.

Game Notes:

• The Yak took a lot of flak after his Prospects Challenge performance, but surprisingly enough, he looked much better when not playing with undrafted junior players. It's certainly funny to see him being uproariously celebrated after one preseason game, especially after the doom and gloom surrounding Ottawa Senators prospects throughout the offseason. Given what we've seen from Ottawa's right-shot defenders so far, I'd say Jacob Bernard-Docker and Calen Addison are the biggest obstacles to Yakemchuk playing for the big club on opening night.
• Cole Reinhardt is the only player on the roster to participate in all three of Ottawa's preseason games. Considering his 4-point effort in Toronto, he certainly deserves it. He's never been a high-end prospect in Ottawa's system but he's currently pushing Angus Crookshank for a spot on the wing.
• Jan Jenik also had a 4-point night in that same game, and is currently a frontrunner for that 4C spot. After being squeezed out of the now-defunct Coyotes' NHL lineup in 2023 in favor of Jay Beagle, Antoine Roussel and various other Bedard tank operators, you could say this is his first real chance at making an NHL team, and he's seizing it so far.
• If Ullmark is indeed ready to play, here's hoping we won't be bearing witness to those soft goals from outside the slot to which we've become sensitized.
• Tonight's game is set for 7:00 pm EST and available on TSN5 and TSN 1200.