Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Earns shutout in return
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Luukkonen recorded a 23-save shutout in Wednesday's 1-0 win over the Kings.
Luukkonen missed about a week with an undisclosed injury, but a light schedule in that span meant he only sat out two games. The 25-year-old was excellent in his return, earning his first shutout of the season and his fourth win in his last six appearances, a span in which he's allowed more than two goals just one time. Luukkonen is up to a 7-4-1 record with a 2.61 GAA and a .910 save percentage through 13 outings, numbers roughly in line with his breakout performance from 2023-24. He should operate as the Sabres' No. 1 goalie moving forward. The team wraps up its California trip with a back-to-back featuring games in Anaheim on Friday and San Jose on Saturday, so expect Luukkonen and James Reimer to split those starts.
Luukkonen will defend the blue paint on the road versus the Kings on Wednesday, per NHL.com.
Prior to getting hurt, Lukkonenen had started nine of the Sabres' last 10 games, and he posted a 6-2-0 record to go with a 2.54 GAA during that time. While the Finnish netminder should get back to seeing a heavy workload moving forward, the addition of James Reimer to the goalie room should provide the coaching staff more confidence to give Luukkonen the occasional night off outside of just back-to-backs.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Ready to play
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Luukkonen (undisclosed) is healthy and available, allowing the team to send Devon Levi down to the minors, Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 reports.
Luukkonen missed Buffalo's last two games due to his undisclosed injury but should be available to play again. The 25-year-old netminder hasn't been confirmed as the starter for Wednesday's matchup with the Kings, but fantasy managers can probably expect him to feature in that one before splitting the back-to-back against the Ducks and Sharks on Friday and Saturday, respectively, with James Reimer.
Luukkonen (undisclosed) won't start in Saturday's road matchup against Philadelphia, Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reports.
Luukkonen has been dealing with an undisclosed injury and is considered day-to-day, and he'll be unavailable for a second consecutive game Saturday. He's been skating in recent days, but it's not yet clear whether he'll be in the mix to return for Wednesday's game against Los Angeles.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Injury concern leads in early hook
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Luukkonen allowed four goals on 18 shots in Monday's 7-5 loss to Montreal.
Luukkonen was replaced by Devon Levi to begin the third period. Levi surrendered two goals on four shots to receive the loss, and Montreal's seventh tally was an empty-netter. The 25-year-old Luukkonen left the game early after getting nicked up during Sunday's practice, according to Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. An update on Luukkonen's status should come before Thursday's home matchup against the Blues, but the issue may not be anything to worry about.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Wins third straight game
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Luukkonen stopped 24 of 26 shots in a 3-2 shootout win over Calgary on Saturday.
The Sabres squandered a 2-0 lead but bounced back to improve to 6-4-0 in the past 10 games. Luukonen has won his last three starts, allowing four goals on 90 shots. He has a 6-4-1 record with a 2.64 GAA and a .910 save percentage through 11 appearances this campaign.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Starting Saturday
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Luukkonen will patrol the home crease versus Calgary on Saturday, per Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald.
Luukkonen will make his fourth straight start and eighth in the last nine games. He has been outstanding, going 2-1-0 in his past three outings while allowing four goals on 87 shots. Luukkonen is 5-4-1 with a 2.72 GAA and a .909 save percentage. The Flames own a mark of 3-5-2 in 10 games after beginning the season 4-0-0.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Excellent display once again
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Luukkonen stopped 25 of 26 shots in Thursday's 6-1 win over the Rangers.
Luukkonen earned his second consecutive win and has given up two or fewer goals in three straight outings, so he's been on a roll of late. Winner in five of his past seven appearances, Luukkonen owns a 5-2-0 record with a 2.31 GAA and a .924 save percentage across that span.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Facing Rangers
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Luukkonen will defend the visiting blue paint against the Rangers on Thursday, according to Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News.
Luukkonen has allowed only three goals on 61 shots (.951 save percentage) over his last two games, giving the Finnish netminder a 4-4-1 record. His peripherals are middling, as he has a 2.92 GAA and a .904 save percentage in nine appearances. Luukkonen has a tough matchup versus the Rangers, who average 4.00 goals per game.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Sharp in fourth win
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Luukkonen stopped 37 shots in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Senators.
The performance tied Luukkonen's season high for saves, and it marked the fifth time in his last six starts he's allowed three goals or fewer. The 25-year-old netminder has gone 4-2-0 over that stretch with a 2.53 GAA and .918 save percentage as he regains his form from a breakout 2023-24 campaign.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Starting Tuesday
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Luukkonen will protect the home goal versus the Senators on Tuesday, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.
Luukkonen has lost his last two outings, giving up seven goals on 54 shots in that span. That comes after a three-game winning streak, so the 25-year-old is still searching for consistency early in the campaign. The Senators have a strong offense, scoring 3.82 goals per game through 11 contests.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Tough loss Saturday
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Luukkonen stopped 21 shots in Saturday's 2-1 loss to the Red Wings.
Both pucks that beat Luukkonen came on Detroit power plays, with Dylan Larkin sniping both in the second period, and the Buffalo offense couldn't find a response. Luukkonen has started five of the Sabres' last six games as he settles into the No. 1 role, going 3-2-0 with a 2.84 GAA and .904 save percentage over that stretch.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Slated to start Tuesday
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Luukkonen is set to guard the home goal against Dallas on Tuesday, per Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald.
Luukkonen is 1-2-1 with a 3.26 GAA and an .895 save percentage through four starts in 2024-25. While those aren't impressive numbers, he did turn aside 35 of 37 shots to earn a 4-2 victory over Chicago on Saturday. Dallas is 5-1-0 this season, though the offense has left something to be desired and is tied for 21st with 2.83 goals per game.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Can't hold lead in OT loss
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Luukkonen made 37 saves in Wednesday's 6-5 overtime loss to the Penguins.
The Sabres held a 3-1 lead after the first period, but Luukkonen saw it slip through his fingers on a night when both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin turned back the clock en route to some big personal milestones. After a breakout 2023-24 campaign, Luukkonen has stumbled out of the gate this season, going 0-2-1 with a 3.69 GAA and .874 save percentage in three starts.
Luukkonen is expected to start on the road against Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
Luukkonen lost his first two starts of the 2024-25 campaign while stopping 39 of 44 shots (.886 save percentage). Meanwhile, Pittsburgh has gotten off to a solid start offensively, tying for 10th with 3.50 goals per game. With Luukkonen starting Wednesday, Devon Levi might get the nod for Thursday's road game versus Columbus.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Win slips away late
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Luukkonen stopped 20 of 22 shots in Thursday's 3-1 loss to the Kings, with Los Angeles' final goal getting scored into an empty net.
The 25-year-old netminder took a shutout into the third period, but Anze Kopitar snapped a shot top shelf on Luukkonen just 13 seconds into the final frame, en route to a natural hat trick that decided the game. The Sabres' offense has been asleep to begin the season -- they've scored only one goal in each of their first three games, and Thursday's tally came on a shorthanded breakaway by Alex Tuch -- so Luukkonen has had no margin for error, leaving him with an 0-2 record despite a respectable 2.56 GAA.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: In goal against New Jersey
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Luukkonen will be between the pipes for Friday's Global Series matchup with New Jersey, Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reports.
Luukkonen will begin his quest to reach the 30-win mark this season with Friday's matchup. The 25-year-old netminder came up just three victories shy of that threshold last year, finishing the campaign with a 27-22-4 record to go with a career-best 2.57 GAA and five shutouts. With Luukkonen getting the nod Friday, it will be either Devon Levi or James Reimer in the crease versus the Devils on Saturday.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Starting Saturday
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Luukkonen will get the home start versus Pittsburgh on Saturday, according to Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News.
Luukkonen enters the 2024-25 campaign as Buffalo's undisputed No. 1 goaltender. He was 27-22-4 with a sparkling 2.57 GAA and a .910 save percentage in 54 regular-season appearances in 2023-24. The Sabres will need a similar performance this campaign if they hope to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since the 2010-11 season. James Reimer will be the backup goaltender in Saturday's exhibition contest.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Solid in win over Caps
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Luukkonen made 22 saves in Thursday's 4-2 win over the Capitals.
The Sabres got eliminated from the playoffs Tuesday, but Luukkonen didn't let his focus waver. The 25-year-old netminder has allowed three goals or less in six straight starts, and he continues to add to his career-high 27 wins while sporting a 2.56 GAA and .910 save percentage on the season.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Gets nod Thursday
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Luukkonen will guard the home goal against the Capitals on Thursday, per Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News.
Luukkonen was decent in his last start, stopping 22 of 25 shots in a 3-2 loss against Dallas on Tuesday. Overall, the 25-year-old has played very well this season, recording a .910 save percentage and a 26-22-3 record in 52 appearances. He will have a favorable matchup against the Capitals, who rank 29th in goals per game at 2.64.
