3 studs for the Buffalo Sabres in Week 3 of the 2023-24 NHL season

The Buffalo Sabres looked like a much better hockey team this week, even if they sustained a few lean frames over the past seven days. 

The Buffalo Sabres are now 12-1-1 in the Goatheads, so you can argue that perhaps they had something to do with their big shutout win over the Colorado Avalanche today. But in all seriousness, quite a few players stood out this week.

Rasmus Dahlin was one of those players, as was Jeff Skinner, but they had been playing very good hockey since Week 2. The players listed below needed a huge boost in their respective games this week, and they got it, so they make the cut while Dahlin and Skinner get honorable mentions.

So which three Sabres players elevated their game enough to be listed below? Here are two forwards and a goaltender who deserve recognition for a few games well done.

3 Buffalo Sabres players who had an epic Week 3

1 – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen may have had a horrible 28 minutes of ice time in the Sabres loss to the New Jersey Devils on Friday. But he also allowed just one goal in 115 minutes of play in the Blue and Gold’s big wins over the Ottawa Senators and the Avalanche.

Sure, he allowed three in those final five minutes in Ottawa, but you can argue that the Buffalo Sabres were more responsible defensively. Therefore, no one should hold Luukkonen accountable for those three goals allowed, or if you do the math, six in a 33-minute span between the last few minutes of the Ottawa game and the outing against Jersey.

Regardless, he still came back and recorded his first career shutout earlier today vs. the Avalanche, so that alone would still put him on this list. The flashes he’s shown already this season and even last year is why the Blue and Gold need to keep him on the roster for at least the remainder of 2023-24.

2 – Alex Tuch

No one needed a bigger week than Alex Tuch, but he finally got one and scored four points in the previous three games. Tuch recorded his first goal of the year in the win against the Ottawa Senators, but his highlight-reel play came today when he found a wide open Tyson Jost, who stepped up and did the rest.

It’s also worth mentioning that Tuch got his Gordie Howe Hat Trick in toward the end of the Ottawa game when he fought power forward Brady Tkachuk. Heading into today’s matinee game, Tuch also led all forwards in blocked shots with seven, and the Buffalo Sabres on-ice save percentage sat at 91.8 percent when he was in the game.

Now that Tuch seems to have found his groove, look for another big performance this coming week when the Blue and Gold face the Philadelphia Flyers as the season heats up.