Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Cruises to eighth win
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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
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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.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Beaten three times Friday
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Luukkonen stopped 19 of 22 shots in Friday's 4-1 loss to the Jets.
Luukkonen was beaten once in the first period and twice in the second. The Jets added a fourth goal when the 26-year-old was on the bench, and the Sabres had an extra attacker. Luukkonen remains inconsistent from a wins perspective, as he's gone 3-3-0 over his last six starts with a 2.39 GAA and a .905 save percentage.
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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.
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.
