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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Set for one-week absence
Rotowire
Head coach Lindy Ruff said Thursday that Luukkonen (lower body) is expected to miss about a week, Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 reports.
Luukkonen could miss the Olympics with Finland, though no determination has been made on his availability. Given his potential timeline, Luukkonen will likely be out of action until at least the final game before the break, a home clash with the Penguins next Thursday. In the meantime, Alex Lyon should see the bulk of the workload with Colten Ellis available as needed.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Departs Tuesday's game
Rotowire
Luukkonen (lower body) won't return to Tuesday's game versus the Maple Leafs.
Luukkonen allowed two goals on five shots in 12:14 of ice time and didn't look comfortable as he left the ice. The goalie was replaced by Colten Ellis, who would likely slot into the backup role behind Alex Lyon if Luukkonen misses time. The Sabres' next game is Thursday at home versus the Kings.
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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
Rotowire
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
Rotowire
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
Rotowire
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
Rotowire
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: Comes up short in OT
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Luukkonen stopped 30 shots in Saturday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Wild.
Neither team was able to break a 4-4 tie in the third period, but there wasn't much Luukkonen could do on the OT winner, which came on a Minnesota power play. The 26-year-old netminder has only one regulation loss in his last eight starts, going 6-1-1 with a 2.50 GAA and .918 save percentage.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Starting Saturday
Rotowire
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.
Luukkonen will protect the home goal versus the Flyers on Wednesday, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.
Luukkonen has won five of his last six outings, allowing just 13 goals on 186 shots in that span. The 26-year-old netminder has taken over as the Sabres' top goalie with his recent run of success. The Flyers have lost their last three games, scoring just four goals in that span, so this is a good matchup for Luukkonen.
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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: Cruises to eighth win
Rotowire
Luukkonen made 32 saves in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Canucks.
He was the busier netminder on the night, as the Canucks outshot the Sabres by a 35-20 margin. However, Luukkonen took a shutout into the third period before seeing it slip away on a Jake DeBrusk power-play tally. Luukkonen has won four of his last five starts to push his record on the season to 8-6-1. His 2.01 GAA and .932 save percentage over that stretch should lock him into the top spot in the Buffalo crease during the absence of Alex Lyon (lower body).
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Scheduled starter against Vancouver
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Luukkonen is expected to start at home versus the Canucks on Tuesday, Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 reports.
Luukkonen has played much better recently, posting a 3-1-0 record, 1.76 GAA and .938 save percentage over his last four starts. However, his three-game winning streak was snapped Saturday in Columbus, as he conceded four goals on 34 shots in a 5-1 loss. Luukkonen will face a Canucks club that is tied for 24th in the NHL with 2.76 goals per game this season. Tuesday is the first contest of Vancouver's six-game road trip through the Eastern Conference.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Win streak ends in Columbus
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Luukkonen stopped 30 of 34 shots in Saturday's 5-1 loss to the Blue Jackets. The final goal was an empty-netter.
The Sabres saw their 10-game win streak come to an end, and Luukkonen got saddled with his first loss since Dec. 8. He won his previous three starts while giving up only three goals on 79 shots. On the season, Luukkonen is 7-6-1 with a 2.58 GAA and a .901 save percentage.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Set to face Columbus
Rotowire
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
Rotowire
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
Rotowire
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: Sharp in Saturday's win
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Luukkonen made 21 saves in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Bruins.
David Pastrnak snapped a shot past Luukkonen midway through the first period, but the 26-year-old netminder shut the door the rest of the way as the Sabres' offense got rolling. Luukkonen has allowed three goals or fewer in 10 of 11 outings since the beginning of November, posting a 2.46 GAA and .903 save percentage over that stretch, but he remains firmly behind the red-hot Alex Lyon in the Buffalo crease.
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