Buffalo Sabres: Luukkonen’s award shows how far he’s come
By Sion Fawkes
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen allowed four goals in last night’s loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, but you can hardly blame him.
Like his Buffalo Sabres teammates, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen had a rough outing against the Carolina Hurricanes in the team’s final game before the All-Star break. He allowed four goals on 33 shots on net, but you can’t necessarily blame him for the lackluster numbers: The Blue and Gold were slow and sloppy in that opening frame when the Canes took a 3-0 lead.
To his credit, he allowed just one more goal the rest of the way. But by then, the Hurricanes had already done the damage, and the Sabres were well on their way to entering the break just one point out of a playoff spot.
Despite the poor outing from everyone involved, it still doesn’t take away the progress Luukkonen’s shown since he was forced into action back in November. And even last night, he made a few more ridiculous saves, showing us once again why the Sabres are currently rolling with three goaltenders on the roster.
Luukkonen has come a long way for the Buffalo Sabres
Entering the All-Star break, Luukkonen sits at 13-6-2, with a 0.899 save percentage and a GAA of 3.30. These aren’t remarkable numbers, but his stats in January are far better, with a 6-2-1 record, a 3.05 GAA, and a 0.907 save percentage.
Given the higher numbers last month, it shows you just how far he’s come overall. In four of his first six starts between November 19th and December 7th, Luukkonen allowed four or more goals. He also logged a save percentage under 0.850 in those same four games. Since then, it’s been a different story, and he allowed at least four goals on just three occasions.
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Want more fun? It’s highly unlikely Luukkonen has even reached anywhere near his full potential. Give him the rest of this season and a full offseason to work, and watch him emerge as the undisputed starting goaltender come September 2023.
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