Luukkonen made 20 saves in Thursday's 2-1 loss to the Capitals.
Buffalo grabbed an early lead on a first-period goal by Sam Carrick, but that was all the offensive support Luukkonen would get on the night. It was the first regulation loss for the 27-year-old netminder since Jan. 19, and over five starts since the Olympic break Luukkonen has posted a solid 2.63 GAA and .910 save percentage.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Beaten seven times Sunday
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Luukkonen stopped 21 of 28 shots in Sunday's 8-7 win over the Lightning.
This is clearly an outing that didn't favor Luukkonen's recent strong run of play, but at least he extended his winning streak to four games. He had allowed two or fewer goals in each of his previous three wins, and the 27-year-old will aim to bounce back in his next start. That said, the Sabres have been alternating the workload between the pipes of late, so it wouldn't be surprising if Alex Lyon gets the nod against the Sharks on Tuesday.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Sharp in fourth straight win
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Luukkonen turned aside 27 shots in Thursday's 5-1 win over the Penguins.
Bryan Rust spoiled his shutout bid with a shorthanded goal in the first period, but otherwise Luukkonen had little trouble with Pittsburgh's offense. The 26-year-old netminder has won four straight decisions dating back to Jan. 22, and on the season he's 14-7-2 over 24 outings with a 2.55 GAA and .910 save percentage.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: In goal Thursday versus Pittsburgh
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Luukkonen will guard the road goal versus the Penguins on Thursday, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.
Luukkonen has won his last two outings, giving up just three goals on 66 shots in those games. The 26-year-old has been splitting time with Alex Lyon, who is also on a roll. Luukkonen will face a team that has 12 goals over four games since the Olympic break.
Luukkonen will guard the road goal versus the Lightning on Saturday, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports.
This will be a tough matchup, as the Lightning are one of the league's top teams. Luukkonen won his first start coming out of the Olympic break, which was also his return from a lower-body injury. He stopped 27 of 28 shots in his win over the Devils on Wednesday. Luukkonen will need to stay sharp between the pipes to maintain a timeshare with Alex Lyon.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Starting versus Devils
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Luukkonen will start on the road versus the Devils on Wednesday, Mike Morreale of NHL.com reports.
Luukkonen was activated from injured reserve and will suit up Wednesday after his lower-body injury cost him the opportunity to represent Finland at the Olympics. The 26-year-old goalie went 4-2-1 over eight games in January, but he had a mediocre 3.21 GAA and .901 save percentage in those contests.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Moved to injured reserve
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Luukkonen (lower body) was shifted to injured reserve Monday, per the NHL media site.
In a corresponding move, defenseman Jacob Bryson (upper body) was removed from injured reserve ahead of Monday's game versus the Panthers. Luukkonen appears unlikely to play again before the break, but it's unclear if he will be ready to suit up for Finland in the Olympics.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Starting in Toronto
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Luukkonen will defend the road net against the Maple Leafs on Tuesday, according to Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News.
Luukkonen is coming off a 32-save effort in Thursday's 4-2 win over Montreal. He has gone 11-7-2 this campaign with a 2.66 GAA and a .905 save percentage through 20 appearances. Toronto ranks 11th in the league with 3.27 goals per game this season.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Third win in last five starts
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Luukkonen made 32 saves in a 4-2 win over the Canadiens on Thursday.
Luukkonen is 3-1-1 in his last five starts and 6-2-1 in nine games since Christmas. He allowed two or fewer goals in five of those nine starts. Luukkonen has an 11-7-2 record with a 2.66 GAA and .905 save percentage in 19 starts this season. He was strong once again Thursday, which is a good sign now that the sizzling Alex Lyon is back in the fold after his injury absence. The Sabres need to keep their proverbial foot to the floor, so they'll likely choose the hottest glove hand on any given day.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Drawing start in Montreal
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Luukkonen will patrol the road blue paint Thursday versus the Canadiens, per Heather Engel of NHL.com.
Luukkonen has lost back-to-back starts while allowing a combined seven goals on 64 shots (.891 save percentage) following a three-game winning streak. The Canadiens have won their previous two games against Ottawa and Minnesota, which came on the heels of a loss to Buffalo last Thursday, but Colten Ellis was between the pipes for that contest. Luukkonen has struggled against Montreal during his career, posting a 1-2-0 record, 4.54 GAA and .847 save percentage over four outings.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Short stick in tight contest
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Luukkonen made 26 saves on 28 shots in a 2-1 loss to Carolina on Monday.
It was a tight contest; the game was tied 1-1 until early in the third period. Luukkonen has lost two straight games to the hands of the Wild and Hurricanes, but since Christmas, he is 5-2-1 in eight starts (21 goals allowed). Luukkonen is 10-7-2 with a 2.69 GAA and .903 save percentage in 19 games (18 starts) this season.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Set to face Carolina
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Luukkonen is expected to start on the road against Carolina on Monday, per Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550.
Alex Lyon (lower body) is dressing as the backup goaltender after being activated off injured reserve Monday. Luukkonen has a 10-6-2 record, 2.72 GAA and .901 save percentage in 18 outings in 2025-26. He stopped 30 of 35 shots en route to a 5-4 overtime loss to Minnesota on Saturday. Carolina has a commanding 30-15-4 record this campaign, and the Hurricanes have won their past two games while outscoring the competition 13-2 over that span.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Starting Saturday
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Luukkonen will guard the home cage versus Minnesota on Saturday, Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News reports.
Luukkonen will look for his fourth straight win against a depleted Wild lineup that is missing its entire second line of Matt Boldy (undisclosed), Marcus Johansson (lower body) and Joel Eriksson Ek (lower body). Luukkonen is 10-6-1 with a 2.59 GAA and a .904 save percentage over 17 starts this season. Minnesota sits 17th in the league with 3.06 goals per game in 2025-26.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Nabs third straight win
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Luukkonen made 20 saves in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Flyers.
The 26-year-old netminder cruised to the win in a tight-checking contest, as the two teams combined for only 36 shots on net. Luukkonen has gotten into the win column in three straight starts and six of his last seven outings, posting a 2.15 GAA and .928 save percentage over that stretch as he reclaims the top spot in the Sabres' crease.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Earns win Saturday
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Luukkonen stopped 31 of 34 shots in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Ducks.
After getting Thursday's 5-2 win over the Rangers off to rest, Luukkonen returned to the crease and continued his strong run of play in recent weeks. The 26-year-old netminder has won five of his last six starts, going 5-1-0 while allowing three goals or fewer in all but one of those contests. Luukkonen has also posted a save percentage of .910 or higher in five of those six outings.
Luukkonen will be between the home pipes versus Anaheim on Saturday, Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 reports.
Luukkonen has won four of his last five starts, allowing 10 goals on 150 shots (.933 save percentage). He is 8-6-1 with a 2.61 GAA and a .903 save percentage over 15 appearances this season. Anaheim is 10th in the NHL this season with 3.25 goals per contest.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Set to face Columbus
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Luukkonen is expected to start on the road against Columbus on Saturday, per Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550.
Luukkonen has won his past three games while stopping 76 of 79 shots (.962 save percentage). He has a 7-5-1 record, 2.46 GAA and .903 save percentage in 13 appearances in 2025-26. Columbus is tied for 20th in goals per game with 2.92.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Excellent against Dallas
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Luukkonen stopped 28 of 29 shots in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Stars.
Luukkonen was beaten once in the first period, but that would be all the damage he'd allow as the Sabres cruised to an easy win. The 26-year-old didn't play in five straight games between Dec. 9 and Dec. 20 due to his struggles, but he's turned things around of late and has won his last three starts. Over that stretch, he owns a 1.00 GAA and an impressive, yet unsustainable, .962 save percentage.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Set to start Wednesday
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Luukkonen is set to start on the road against Dallas on Wednesday.
Luukkonen has a 6-5-1 record, 2.58 GAA and .897 save percentage in 12 outings in 2025-26. The 26-year-old has won his past two starts while stopping 48 of 50 shots (.960 save percentage). Alex Lyon (lower body) isn't available Wednesday, but Colten Ellis (concussion) is back and will serve as Luukkonen's understudy. Dallas ranks second in goals per game with 3.49.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Expected to face Boston
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Luukkonen is expected to start at home against Boston on Saturday, per Paul Hamilton of WGR 550.
Luukkonen stopped 26 of 27 shots en route to a 3-1 victory over New Jersey in his last start Sunday. He's 5-5-1 with a 2.73 GAA and an .892 save percentage in 11 appearances this season. Boston is tied for 11th in goals per game with 3.16.
