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.
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.
Luukkonen signed a five-year, $23.75 million contract with the Sabres on Wednesday.
Luukkonen was slated for an arbitration hearing, but the two sides were able to reach an agreement on their own. The 25-year-old netminder had a breakout 2023-24 campaign, going 27-22-4 with a 2.57 GAA and a .910 save percentage in 54 contests. While the Sabres also have Devon Levi around, Luukkonen appears set to be the team's No. 1 goalie for a majority of the remainder of this decade.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Concedes three goals in loss
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Luukkonen gave up three goals on 42 shots in Saturday's 3-2 overtime loss to Florida.
Luukkonen played in his final game of the season, posting a 27-22-4 record to go with a career-best 2.57 GAA, .910 save percentage and five shutouts in 54 appearances on the year. The netminder will be a restricted free agent in the offseason, so expect him to see a significant pay raise from this season's $837,500 cap hit.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Slated starter for Saturday
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Luukkonen will guard the road goal Saturday against Florida, according to Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News.
Luukkonen is coming off a 22-save performance in Thursday's 4-2 win over Washington. He has provided a record of 27-22-3 this season with a 2.56 GAA and a .910 save percentage through 53 games played. The Panthers sit 14th in the league with 3.21 goals per contest this campaign.
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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.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Falls to Dallas
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Luukkonen allowed three goals on 25 shots in a 3-2 loss to the Stars on Tuesday.
It's the second straight loss for Luukkonen -- he's allowed six goals on 49 shots in that span. Overall, the 25-year-old netminder is 26-22-3 with a .910 save percentage and a 2.58 GAA on the season. Luukkonen figures to be back between the pipes Thursday when the Sabres host Washington.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Set to start Tuesday
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Luukkonen will protect the road goal versus the Stars on Tuesday.
Luukkonen was involved in a collision with teammate Rasmus Dahlin early in warmups, but it appears no harm was done. Luukkonen has allowed 23 goals over his last seven contests, and it's unlikely to be easier for him against a Stars team that leads the Western Conference.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Concedes three goals in loss
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Luukkonen allowed three goals on 24 shots in a 3-1 defeat to Detroit on Sunday.
Luukkonen has been absolutely grinding for the Sabres this season, playing in 32 of the club's last 37 contests. During that stretch, the netminder went 18-13-1 with a 2.32 GAA and .917 save percentage. Still, once Buffalo is officially eliminated from the postseason, the team could decide to utilize Eric Comrie more or bring Devon Levi up from the minors.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Starting in Detroit
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Luukkonen will defend the road net Sunday against the Red Wings, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports.
Luukkonen has emerged victorious in each of his past two outings, stopping 56 of 60 shots during that span. In 50 appearances this campaign, he has a 26-20-3 record with a 2.55 GAA and a .911 save percentage. Detroit ranks ninth in the league with 3.32 goals per contest this season.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Big win over Philly
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Luukkonen stopped 32 shots in Friday's 4-2 win over the Flyers.
Luukkonen was by far the busier netminder, as Philadelphia outshot Buffalo by a 34-19 margin. He came up big once again for a Sabres squad that refuses to fade out of the playoff picture. Luukkonen has gone 8-5-1 since the beginning of March with a 2.81 GAA and .903 save percentage but may need to heat up again to get Buffalo across the finish line -- the team is now only four points back of Philly for the final postseason berth in the Eastern Conference. Washington, Detroit and Pittsburgh remain in the mix as well.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Draws start
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Luukkonen will be stationed between the pipes for Friday's home tilt with the Flyers, Joe Yerdon of Bleacher Report reports.
Luukkonen stopped 24 of 26 shots in a win over the Capitals on Tuesday. The 25-year-old is now 25-20-3 with a 2.57 GAA and a .910 save percentage through 49 appearances. In 25 home games, he's registered a terrific 2.26 GAA. Luukkonen will attempt to secure his first set of back-to-back wins since March 12 and 14 on Friday.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Collects win No. 25
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Luukkonen made 23 saves in Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Capitals.
The game was close until the third period when Buffalo erupted for three goals in the first six minutes of the frame to make things easier on Luukkonen. The 25-year-old netminder has cooled down in recent weeks, going 7-5-1 since the beginning of March with a 2.88 GAA and .899 save percentage, but Tuesday's win was his 25th of the season and he has a firm hold on the top job in the crease as the Sabres try to put together a miracle finish to the season and sneak into the playoffs.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Set to face Capitals
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Luukkonen was the first goalie off the ice at the morning skate, Katelyn Kardaman of the Sabres' official site reports, indicating he will patrol the home crease Tuesday versus Washington.
Luukkonen is coming off a 19-save effort in Saturday's 3-0 loss to Toronto. In 48 appearances this campaign, he has supplied a 24-20-3 record with a 2.58 GAA and a .910 save percentage. The Capitals sit 27th in the league this season with 2.70 goals per contest.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Gets no help from teammates
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Luukkonen made 19 saves in a 3-0 loss to Toronto on Saturday.
Luukkonen gave up a goal in each period, including Auston Matthews' league-leading 60th tally of the season. The 25-year-old Luukkonen is in the midst of his best NHL season ever, compiling a 24-20-3 record with a 2.58 GAA and a .910 save percentage through 48 appearances. He has plenty of bounce-back appeal next week, with the Sabres set to play against Washington, Philadelphia and Detroit.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Starting Saturday
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Luukkonen will guard the home goal versus the Maple Leafs on Saturday, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.
Luukkonen has alternated wins and losses over his last six appearances, giving up 18 goals on 161 shots in that span. He'll face a tough test Saturday, as the Maple Leafs have scored 25 times over their last six games.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Early hook vs. Ottawa
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Luukkonen allowed four goals on nine shots in Wednesday's 6-2 loss to the Senators.
It was a rough night for Luukkonen, who allowed four goals in the first 8:49 of the opening period before he was relieved by Devon Levi. The 25-year-old Luukkonen had won five of his last seven outings prior to Wednesday's matchup, sporting a .909 save percentage in that span. Luukkonen falls to 24-19-3 with a .911 save percentage and 2.57 GAA in what's been a generally impressive campaign. He'll look to bounce back in his next start, which could come Friday when the Sabres host New Jersey.
