The Buffalo Sabres hit the road on a four-game road trip that started against the Vegas Golden Knights. It was a hard-fought game, but ultimately it was Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen who kept the Sabres in this game with his first shutout of the season, and the Sabres scored just enough to get the win.
The Sabres took the lead late in the first period when Josh Doan was able to control the puck on a turnover behind the Golden Knights' net and shoot the puck at Adin Hill's pads, which directed the puck into the net.
That would be the only goal scored until the final minutes of the third period when Josh Norris was able to seal the win with an empty-net goal. The win over the Golden Knights not only keeps their four-point lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division but also moves them into a tie with the Carolina Hurricanes for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
These are some of the top takeaways for the Buffalo Sabres from the game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night.
Noah Ostlund moves to the top line with Alex Tuch out against the Golden Knights
For the second time in three games, the Buffalo Sabres were without Alex Tuch as he was dealing with an illness and held out of this game. The absence of Tuch opened up the chance for Tyson Kozak to be active, who played in his first game since March 3rd when Vegas was in Buffalo, but Lindy Ruff had to shuffle the lines to replace Tuch.
There were certainly some surprises as Ostlund not only moved up to the top line but also lined up at center as Tage Thompson moved outside to the wing. Thompson began the season at right wing, but injuries early in the season forced him back to center, which turned out to be the right move as he has had an incredible season.
In addition to Ostlund, Zach Benson was on the top line while Peyton Krebs started the game on the third line with Josh Norris and Josh Doan. The hope will be that Tuch can return for Thursday's game against San Jose but if not, it wouldn't be surprising if they stick with these lines.
Sam Carrick quickly becoming a fan favorite for the Buffalo Sabres
Sam Carrick is only playing in his sixth game with the Buffalo Sabres, but has already made a huge impact on this team. After the Maple Leafs game on Saturday, head coach Lindy Ruff even joked about Carrick earning his 'Buffalo citizenship' soon.
If he didn't have it yet, he probably earned it on Tuesday night against the Vegas Golden Knights early in the game with a big hit on Jack Eichel. While the animosity might not be at the level it was after Jack Eichel was traded by the Buffalo Sabres, there is always going to be something there between the player and the fanbase.
The NHL Trade Deadline was less than two weeks ago, but it is clear that the Sam Carrick trade was by far the best made by Jarmo Kekalainen this season. He has been a perfect fit on this team as the center on the fourth line.
Buffalo Sabres penalty kill shuts down one of the better power play units in the NHL
The Buffalo Sabres have one of the better penalty kills in the NHL at 82.9%, which is fourth-best in the league. However, Alex Tuch has been a big part of that unit with the second-most minutes among the Sabres' forwards behind only Ryan McLeod.
The absence of Tuch is a big hole, and the Sabres faced a tough challenge in a Vegas Golden Knights team that was third-best in the league in power play percentage at 25.5%. They were coming off a game against the Chicago Blackhawks, where they had two power-play goals on five chances.
However, even without one of their top players on the penalty kill, the Buffalo Sabres won this battle. The Golden Knights had three power-play chances but were unable to score with the man advantage.
It is worth noting that Zach Benson, in addition to playing on the top line, was a big part of the penalty kill unit with 2:30 of short-handed time in this game.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen with arguably his best performance of the season
The Buffalo Sabres weren't able to get much going offensively, but it didn't matter as Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was perfect in net to deliver his first shutout of the season. The last time Luukkonen had a shutout was back on January 9th, 2025, against the Ottawa Senators.
The Sabres goalie had to earn this shutout, though, as the Golden Knights had a ton of chances with 29 scoring chances in 5v5 situations compared to the Sabres, who had only 18.
After giving up seven goals against the Tampa Bay Lightning and then losing 2-1 to the Washington Capitals in his next start, this was a great bounce-back performance by Luukkonen. The saves he made early in the first period really shifted the momentum in this game, which allowed the Sabres to control the flow from start to finish.
In the end, it was another excellent performance from a Buffalo Sabres team that continues to climb the standings. They now have squarely inserted themselves in the discussion with the Carolina Hurricanes for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.