Another showing for Helenius
Konsta Helenius is set to become the only Sabres’ skater to play in each of the team’s first three preseason games, setting the stage for the 19-year-old to continue his impressive camp.
Helenius deked his way to a highlight-reel goal late during Monday’s victory in Columbus. On Tuesday, he strung together a dominant shift in the offensive zone – juking defenders to maintain possession before eventually crashing the net – to set up Jason Zucker’s winning goal.
Then, following a late-game hooking penalty, Helenius rebounded to play a crucial role as the Sabres protected their one-goal lead in a 5-on-6 situation.
“I thought his game was probably one of the best I’ve seen,” Ruff said. “His stick work was excellent.”
It’s all amounted to a promising start for the 2024 first-round pick, who was touted for his mature, two-way identity at the time of his draft and showed growth last season as a rookie in Rochester.
“I think he’s going to be a really good player in this league for a long time,” Zucker said.
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