The Sabres picked up a big 6-3 win against the Boston Bruins at the KeyBank Center on Sunday night. This now makes it three straight wins against the Bruins to win the season series 3-1.
Tage Thompson had a hat-trick to tally his 43rd total goal of the season. However, it was the play of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen that has fans a little on edge as the Sabres head into next season.
UPL got off to a hot start to the year, as he kept the Sabres in almost every game, including November when he had a 1.92 goals-against average.
Then the month of February rolled around and UPL has consistently struggled. With a 7-8 total record, Luukkonen lost the starting job to James Reimer and also has a 3.62 goals-against average in that span.
For someone who was looked at as the next long-term goalie for the Sabres, it seems he is still having growing pains. Fans are quickly noticing him regressing with every game.
Man Luukkonen is just lost. Not seeing the puck well at all. He looked off the angle on that last shot and then off the wall he doesn’t even move/attempt to cover the wide open net.
— Chad DeDominicis (@CMDeDominicis) April 6, 2025
He made 17 saves against the Bruins but struggled through the first 30 minutes of the game. Seeing the Sabres struggle against the worst team in the Eastern Conference.
This is by far the least confident we have seen Luukkonen throughout the long season. Looking at how he is playing, his positioning is off compared to the beginning of the season, and his rebound control has been horrendous as well.
It may not be a fun summer for Luukkonen with offseason training if he continues down this road.
How does this affect the Sabres going forward?
The Sabres have a lot to look forward to heading into next season, as they will have a chance to return their top-10 offense. With signings needing to be made to Ryan McLeod and JJ Peterka, the Sabres could have the best offense in the league.
If their defense stays healty, and guys like Owen Power and Jacob Bernard-Docker take a big leap forward, this team is definitely a contender. However, it is the goaltending that will be the big question mark.
As we assume James Reimer will hit free agency, this will leve UPL and Devon Levi inbetween the pipes next year. Levi showed this year he wasn’t ready, and at this point we don’t know what to expect for next year.
If UPL can’t find his groove heading into next season, this team will be in some serious trouble moving forward. With a heavy offensive attack, the Sabres need a goalie back there every night who can stop 25-30 shots per game. If they don’t, well their shot at the playoffs next year will be judt like the last 15 years.