Youngsters again showed off their skill set in another opportunity to make their case to the Detroit Red Wings.
The Wings’ second exhibition match, on Thursday, Sept. 25 at Little Caesars, featured prospects Emmitt Finnie on the top line and Axel Sandin Pellikka on the top defensive pairing. Several of the up-and-comers who played in the first game reappeared against the Buffalo Sabres.
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The Wings picked up their second victory, winning, 5-2.
Mason Appleton of the Detroit Red Wings celebrates his first period goal with teammates while playing the Buffalo Sabres at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025.
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Preseason lineups are a mix of veterans, minor-leaguers and prospects – Moritz Seider, for example, played with Jacob Truscott, who is at camp on a tryout. But the games afford an opportunity to see how someone such as Finnie, a 20-year-old 2023 seventh-round pick, handles himself with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond.
The answer: Very well. Finnie was robbed on a tremendous chance driving the puck to the net early in the second period, denied when Buffalo goalie Alexandar Georgiev extended his left leg to block the puck.
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It was newcomer Mason Appleton who was first to put the Wings on the scoreboard, picking up a goal 12 seconds into a penalty for too many men, making easy work of a behind-the-goal line pass from Andrew Copp. Copp also had a goal, late in the second period.
Michael Brandsegg-Nygård showed off his shot during a power play midway through the second period, taking a pass from Sandin Pellikka and sending a rising shot into Buffalo’s net.
Larkin scored midway through the second period – and Finnie was right by the net in case of a rebound.
Seider was credited for the goal that made it 4-2 when a Sabres player knocked it past Georgiev.
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Noah Ostlund and Josh Doan scored for the Sabres. Cam Talbot and Michal Postava, a newcomer signed to play for the Grand Rapids Griffins, split the net duties, light as they were – Talbot gave up two goals on eight shots in a little more than half the game. Postava made nine saves.
The Wings play again Friday, hitting the road to face the Penguins in Pittsburgh (7 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Detroit).
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings preseason score: Slice through Buffalo Sabres, 5-2