Wings shut out Sabres
Preseason closes with only 17 goals
DETROIT — Giving up all three goals in the final 18 minutes, the Buffalo Sabres closed the preseason with a 3-0 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday night before 15,983 in Joe Louis Arena.
The Sabres finished 2-4-1 in exhibition play — scoring just 17 goals in the seven games — while the Wings went 6-1-2.
The Sabres open the regular season Friday night against Montreal in HSBC Arena. Detroit begins defense of its Stanley Cup on Thursday night at home against Toronto.
Johan Franzen scored twice for the Wings, including an empty-netter with one second left. Nicklas Lidstrom assisted on all three goals. Ville Leino also scored for the Wings.
The Sabres were 0 for 10 on the power play, getting just eight shots on goal in 17:04 with the man-advantage. Included was a four-minute power play in the second period when Mikael Samuelsson went off for elbowing Derek Roy and for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Detroit finished with a 26-21 edge in shots on goal.
Franzen opened the scoring at 2:54 of the third period on a feed from Jiri Hudler. Leino made it 2-0 at 4:46, beating Ryan Miller on a low shot between the legs.
The Sabres appeared to score late in the first period on a goal by Roy that replays confirmed was over the goal line behind Wings goalie Ty Conklin. But officials said there was no video review in the preseason.
“It’s tough,” said Sabres coach Lindy Ruff. “Ty Conklin has been tough on us, we get one and it doesn’t count.”
In other Sabres news, forwards Mark Mancari and Mathieu Darche cleared waivers and were sent to Portland of the American Hockey League.
