Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Between pipes against Jets
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Luukkonen will tend the twine on the road versus Winnipeg on Friday, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports.
Luukkonen has seen his role reduced this season, playing in just eight of the Sabres' last 19 outings. In those appearances, the Finnish backstop has put up decent numbers, going 4-3-1 with a 2.51 GAA. While the Sabres continue to carry three netminders, at some point, Luukkonen will have to get more starts if he continues to perform at his current level.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Expected to start Wednesday
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Luukkonen is slated to start Wednesday in Pittsburgh, per Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550.
Luukkonen has won back-to-back games for the first time this season, stopping 49 of 53 shots (.925 save percentage) in victories over Chicago and Carolina on Friday and Sunday, respectively. The Finnish goaltender is 3-2-1 with a 2.67 GAA and an .897 save percentage across six appearances this season. After starting the year on injured reserve due to a lower-body injury, Luukkonen seems to be closing in on being the team's clear-cut No. 1 option, as Colten Ellis and Alex Lyon have received their share of starts in 2025-26.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Shines in goal Sunday
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Luukkonen made 29 saves on 30 attempts on goal in Sunday's 4-1 win over the Hurricanes.
Despite the Hurricanes attempting 10 more shots on net than the Sabres, Luukkonen allowed just one power-play goal Sunday. The strong outing was his third win of the season, boosting his season totals to a 3-2-1 record, a 2.68 GAA and an .897 save percentage through six games. Sunday marked the first time this season Luukkonen allowed one goal or fewer. Luukkonen has 20-plus wins in each of the past two seasons and could surpass that threshold again if he can hold onto the starting role now that he's healthy. After a few days of rest, Luukkonen's next chance to take the ice will be Wednesday in Pittsburgh.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Starting once again
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Luukkonen will get the start for Sunday's game against the Hurricanes, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.
Luukkonen is getting back-to-back starts for the first time this season and will make only his sixth start overall. The 26-year-old has a 2-2-1 record, 3.01 GAA and .881 save percentage in his five appearances. The Hurricanes have scored at least three goals in five straight games and boast the second-best offense in the NHL at 3.62 goals per game, so Luukkonen will have his work cut out for him Sunday.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Earns win over Chicago
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Luukkonen stopped 20 of 23 shots in Friday's 9-3 win over the Blackhawks.
Luukkonen did a decent job between the posts and had plenty of offensive support to earn the victory. He has made just four starts in November, going 2-2-0 with a 2.78 GAA and an .893 save percentage, as he seems to have fallen out of favor lately. His recent performances won't help him regain the starting role, but getting some victories should help him remain an option in a crowded Buffalo crease.
Luukkonen will guard the home goal versus the Blackhawks on Friday, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.
This will be Luukkonen's first action in four games and his first start since Nov. 6 versus the Blues. He's fallen out of favor a bit in a crowded crease, but the Sabres' goaltending battle hasn't really had a standout participant yet. Luukkonen has posted an .883 save percentage over four contests and may be challenged heavily by the Blackhawks' offense.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Set to start Thursday
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Luukkonen is expected to start on the road against Colorado on Thursday, per Michael Augello of The Hockey News.
Luukkonen has a record of 1-1-1 with a 2.90 GAA and an .877 save percentage this season. He missed the start of the campaign due to a lower-body injury, but he's appeared in just three of Buffalo's past eight games since returning. Buffalo also has Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis on the roster, which has contributed to Luukkonen's light workload. A solid start against Colorado would help him in his fight for a bigger role, but the Avalanche are an extremely difficult adversary -- they're 11-1-5 and rank first in goals per game with 4.00.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Zero help from teammates
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Luukkonen made 14 saves in a 3-0 loss to St. Louis on Thursday.
Luukkonen didn't face much rubber and honestly he wasn't stellar. The Sabres continue to have an odor to their game, and UPL hasn't been able to solve that problem since he returned from injury. Lukkonen is 1-1-1 with a 2.91 GAA and .877 save percentage. This could be a rough season.
Luukkonen will patrol the home crease for Thursday's matchup with the Blues, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald reports.
Luukkonen has appeared in two games for the Sabres this season, in which he posted a 1-0-1 record to go with a 3.33 GAA. The 26-year-old backstop has reached the 50-game mark in each of his previous two years. Despite missing nearly a month of the 2025-26 campaign due to injury, he may still have enough time to hit that threshold again this season.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Battles for first win
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Luukkonen stopped 31 of 34 shots on goal in Saturday's 4-3 shootout win over the Capitals.
Luukkonen's second start of the season got off to a shaky start, as he allowed two goals in the first two and a half minutes. Outside that mark, he was nearly perfect, allowing just one more goal across regulation and overtime en route to the shootout win. Luukkonen now has a 1-0-1 record with a 3.33 GAA and an .877 save percentage in two games this season. The return to the win column for the 26-year-old netminder should chip away at the fantasy value of fellow goalie Alex Lyon, who has a 3-4-2 record through nine games this season. Luukkonen will likely be the team's top option between the pipes moving forward, giving him solid fantasy value once the volume starts to match his totals from seasons past. His next chance to take the ice is at home Tuesday against the Mammoth.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Off injured reserve
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Luukkonen (lower body) was taken off injured reserve Thursday, per the NHL media site.
Luukkonen hasn't played for Buffalo yet this year because of the injury, but he was sent to AHL Rochester for conditioning and stopped 21 of 23 shots for the Americans on Wednesday. Luukkonen has completed his conditioning stint in addition to being taken off injured reserve, so he should be an option for Friday's home game against Toronto. Colten Ellis might be sent to the minors to avoid having three healthy goaltenders on the NHL roster, and Luukkonen will likely compete with Alex Lyon for starts.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Headed for conditioning stint
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Luukkonen (lower body) was reassigned to AHL Rochester on a conditioning assignment Tuesday.
Luukkonen figures to get the start for the Americans in Wednesday's matchup with AHL Syracuse, though he could stay in the minors a little longer. At a minimum, the netminder shouldn't be expected to suit up for Wednesday's clash with the Red Wings. In the meantime, Alex Lyon figures to continue seeing the bulk of the starts for the Sabres.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Officially ruled out Thursday
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Luukkonen (lower body), as expected, was officially ruled out against the Rangers on Thursday, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.
Luukkonen was expected to miss at least a week to open the season, so his absence for Opening Night shouldn't come as a surprise. With the 26-year-old backstop on the shelf, Alex Lyon looks poised to play Thursday -- though head coach Lindy Ruff hasn't officially named a starter. Despite missing the early part of the year, Luukkonen should still reach the 50-game threshold this year as the Sabres' No. 1 option in the crease, assuming he can shake off his injury issues.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Won't dress Friday
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Luukkonen (lower body) will not be available against the Penguins on Friday, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.
With Alex Lyon already confirmed as the starter for Friday's preseason finale, it shouldn't come as a surprise to see Luukkonen being held out completely while Alexandar Georgiev serves as the backup. The priority for Buffalo will be getting the 26-year-old Luukkonen healthy in time to face the Rangers in the season opener at home Thursday.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Injured again Wednesday
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Luukkonen aggravated his lower-body injury during Wednesday's game versus the Penguins and won't return to the contest.
Luukkonen's injury woes seem likely to linger into the regular season at this point, as this was his first game of the preseason. He had previously been aiming for an Opening Night return, and it appears that accelerating that timeline didn't go well. If Luukkonen misses additional action, expect Alexandar Georgiev and Alex Lyon to share the goaltending duties for the Sabres.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Set to start Wednesday
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Luukkonen (lower body) will guard the cage at home against the Penguins on Wednesday, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports.
Head coach Lindy Ruff hasn't decided if Luukkonen will play two periods or the full game Wednesday, Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 reports. Either way, his return to the crease clears the way for Luukkonen to get the nod for the season opener versus the Rangers on Oct. 9. With Luukkonen cleared to return, one of Alex Lyon or Alexandar Georgiev will likely be shipped down to AHL Rochester.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Anticipating Opening Night return
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Luukkonen (lower body) is expecting to be ready for Opening Night against the Rangers on Oct. 9, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports Thursday.
Luukkonen practiced for the first time during training camp Thursday, but look for the team to ease him back into action -- if the netminder plays in a preseason game at all. The Sabres have four more opportunities for Luukkonen to face some rubber before the season opener. In the meantime, Alex Lyon and Alexandar Georgiev figure to continue battling for the No. 2 spot in Buffalo.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Back at practice Thursday
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Luukkonen (lower body) returned to practice Thursday, per Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News.
Luukkonen will partake in his first practice session in training camp. The 26-year-old starting netminder was 24-24-5 with a 3.20 GAA and an .887 save percentage across 55 regular-season contests in 2024-25. Luukkonen will be challenged for the top spot, as the Sabres signed Alexandar Georgiev and Alex Lyon to compete with Luukkonen and Devon Levi between the pipes.
Luukkonen reported to training camp with an undisclosed injury, Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic reports Friday.
A league source stated that Luukkonen came to camp with a "tweak." The Sabres are not sure as to the severity of the injury, and there is no timetable for a return. Buffalo inked Alexandar Georgiev to a one-year contract Thursday, in case Luukkonen is not ready for the start of the 2025-26 campaign. Luukkonen was 24-24-5 with a pair of shutouts, a 3.20 GAA and an .887 save percentage across 55 regular-season appearances for the Sabres in 2024-25.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Flops against Philly
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Luukkonen made 25 saves in Saturday's 7-4 loss to the Flyers.
The Sabres took a 3-2 lead midway through the second period on a Jack Quinn power-play tally, but Luukkonen and the Buffalo defense were simply overwhelmed over the last half of the contest. The 26-year-old goalie has fallen apart in March, coughing up five or more goals in four of his 10 appearances while going 3-7-0 with a 4.11 GAA and .848 save percentage.
