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Buffalo Sabres: How much faith should we have in Luukkonen?

By Zach Jezioro

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 15: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen #1 of the Buffalo Sabres looks on against the Washington Capitals during the second period of the game at Capital One Arena on March 15, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 15: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen #1 of the Buffalo Sabres looks on against the Washington Capitals during the second period of the game at Capital One Arena on March 15, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been the best goaltender so far this year for the Buffalo Sabres. But how confident should we be in him?

Let’s go back to last summer. Remember when we talked about who should be the starter for the Buffalo Sabres? Obviously, most people (including me) thought Devon Levi was the clear-cut favorite. And for good reason. Some people said to trade for a goalie or have Levi and Eric Comrie split.

The one guy who was the odd man out, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Some people wanted him traded, some people wanted him in Rochester. There were very few who thought he should be the guy but a majority of the fanbase thought otherwise.

Last year, Luukkonen played so well at one point that he was the NHL’s rookie of the month. But as we got deeper into the season, he struggled. With the Sabres in the playoff race, it was Levi getting the starts as well as Comrie and Craig Anderson from time to time.

Has Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen won over Buffalo Sabres fans?

Fast forward to this season, and it has switched. Levi has not been the best and while Comrie has looked good, it’s Luukkonen who is looking the best out of the three of them. So far this season, Luukkonen has the best stats out of the goaltenders.

He has a record of 6-3-1, with a goals against average of 2.54 and a .918 save percentage. Lately, he has done such an amazing job. Some of the saves he’s been making have been clutch in helping the Sabres secure victories.

But it begs the question, can he continue to play well? As I mentioned earlier, he got hot last year, then declined as the season went along. If I had to rank how confident I am on a scale from 1-10, I’m going to say a seven, cautiously optimistic.

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Even though he has been the best goaltender FOR NOW, I’m not ready to make conclusions. I will say, I think he has something to prove after he was the odd man out going into the season. As someone who doubted him, I’m rooting for him to prove me wrong and I hope he continues to keep on rolling.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)

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