Red Wings fall to Sabres in preseason finale

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Danny DeKeyser collides with Buffalo Sabres defenseman Robert Hagg during the first period Saturday. (AP Photo/Joshua Bessex)
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Sam Gagner scored the lone goal for the Detroit Red Wings Saturday in a 3-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres in their preseason finale at KeyBank Center.

Alex Nedeljkovic played the entire game and made 35 saves as Detroit finished 4-4 in the exhibition season.

The Red Wings open the regular season Thursday against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning at Little Caesars Arena (7:30 p.m., Bally Sports Detroit). It’s the start of four-game season-opening homestand.

Before that, the Red Wings will finalist their season-opening 23-man roster.

The main questions that will be answered are whether young forwards Lucas Raymond, the No. 4 pick in 2020, and/or Joe Veleno, the 30th selection in 2018, make the cut or whether they will start the season with the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins.

The Red Wings also must decide if veteran right wing Bobby Ryan, in camp on a tryout, has earned a contract. Jakub Vrana’s shoulder injury (out four months) might have created a spot for Ryan among the top six forwards.

The Red Wings, playin their eighth game in 11 days and missing some injured players, appeared tired as the Sabres dominated territorially, outshooting them 38-19.

Zemgus Girgensons capitalized on a miscue by Nedeljkovic to snap a 1-1 tie, scoring a shorthanded goal with 13 seconds remaining in the second period. Nedeljkovic came out of his net to play the puck but fanned on a clearing attempt; the puck went right to Girgensons, who fired it into an open net.

Gagner had tied it at 11:02 of the second period. Mitchell Stephens set him up by forechecking aggressively and stealing the puck from Vinnie Hinostroza in the corner and centering to Gagner.

JJ Peterka opened the scoring for the Sabres at 6:00 of the second period by cutting into the high slot and whipping a hard wrist shot past Nedeljkovic.

Hinostroza’s empty-net goal sealed the outcome with 1:03 remaining in the third period.

The Red Wings played with several regular forwards -- Dylan Larkin, Robby Fabbri, Adam Erne, Michael Rasmussen, Vladislav Namestnikov and Givani Smith.

More: Roster decisions at forward loom for Red Wings

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