DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings on Thursday dressed at least a dozen players who’ll be on their season-opening roster and dominated the Buffalo Sabres for a 5-2 preseason victory at Little Caesars Arena.
Mason Appleton scored shorthanded and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard tallied a power-play goal. Dylan Larkin, Moritz Seider, Andrew Copp scored at even strength.
The Red Wings outshot Buffalo 40-17 and improved to 2-0-0. The Sabres are 2-1-0.
Cam Talbot started and stopped 6-of-8 shots through 31 minutes. Michal Postova, a free agent from Czechia who’ll play for the Grand Rapids Griffins, stopped all nine shots he faced the rest of the way.
Appleton, a former Winnipeg Jet the Red Wings signed in the offseason, opened the scoring at 5:39 of the first period, taking a pass from Copp and burying a shorthanded goal. Copp, Appleton and Michael Rasmussen will form the team’s checking line.
Brandsegg-Nygard took a pass from Axel Sandin Pellikka and fired in a wrist shot from the top of the face-off circle on the power play at 9:04 of the first period to snap a 1-1 tie.
Larkin, Seider and Copp scored in the second period to put the Red Wings ahead 5-2.
The Red Wings visit the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday (7 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network).