Granato - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres’ Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen looks sharp, displays growing confidence

Interim Buffalo Sabres coach Don Granato could see how goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s body language displayed his growing confidence.

Nothing, it seems, can frazzle Luukkonen. The rookie looked sharp again throughout his second NHL start, stopping 38 shots in Tuesday’s 3-1 loss to the New York Rangers inside Madison Square Garden.

The 6-foot-4 Luukkonen challenged shooters, tracked shots through traffic and stood his ground as players whacked at second chances – all signs of the Finn’s ... Read the full article

Pressure accompanies Ukko-Pekka Luukkonnen’s second start with Sabres

Interim Buffalo Sabres coach Don Granato knows goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will feel more pressure in his second NHL start.

Luukkonen looked sharp in his debut, stopping 36 shots in Friday’s 6-4 home win over the Boston Bruins. Now, the Finn must face the New York Rangers, who beat the Sabres 6-3 on Sunday, inside Madison Square Garden.

“Even the second game there’s still pressure,” Granato said on a Zoom call this morning. “You finish the ... Read the full article

Injured Sabres goalie Carter Hutton suffers setback in recovery

Buffalo Sabres goalie Carter Hutton, who has missed the last 19 games with a lower-body injury, suffered a setback in his recovery, interim coach Don Granato said this morning.

“What that means, I don’t have clarification on it,” Granato said on a Zoom call after the Sabres prepared for tonight’s road game against the New York Rangers. “We have not and are not going to say he’s out for the year and won’t play ... Read the full article

Sabres rookie Arttu Ruotsalainen scoring, earning keep in NHL

When Don Granato arrived in Buffalo as an assistant in 2019, the idea of someday coaching a relatively unknown Sabres prospect named Arttu Ruotsalainen intrigued him.

Granato, now Buffalo’s interim coach, only watched Ruotsalainen, 23, up close for a few weeks in training camp. The Finn’s contract stipulated he had to return to Ilves, his Liiga team, if he did not make the Sabres last season.

Still, Granato’s brief time around the 5-foot-9, 185-pound ... Read the full article

Sabres settle down after awful start, avert blowout against Rangers

Don Granato likes to joke that he talks about offense much more than defense. But the interim Buffalo Sabres coach, of course, stresses the less glamorous side of hockey.

“Even though I don’t speak of defense a lot, it’s a cornerstone,” Granato said on a Zoom call following Sunday’s 6-3 loss to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. “I’ve joked around a little bit I don’t say it, but don’t underestimate how important ... Read the full article

Sabres want Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to watch; Will Borgen to be scratched

Instead of playing goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen again tonight, interim Buffalo Sabres coach Don Granato wants to let the rookie examine the New York York Rangers up close.

So Luukkonen, 22, will watch tonight’s game at Madison Square Garden as a backup. Veteran Dustin Tokarski will start his 10th game this season.

Luukkonen looked sharp in his NHL debut Friday, stopping 36 shots in a 6-4 win over the Boston Bruins. The Finn watched two ... Read the full article

Sabres should keep playing goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

BUFFALO – Get this straight: Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen isn’t ready for regular NHL duty.

In the coming weeks or at the beginning of next season, he will likely return to Rochester, where he can carry the load for the Americans and keep developing.

Luukkonen looked terrific for most of his NHL debut, stopping 36 shots in Friday’s 6-4 win over the Boston Bruins. But he needs more seasoning. The Sabres’ top goalie prospect has ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Matej Pekar uses fight with Amerks to generate confidence

BUFFALO – Sabres prospect Matej Pekar wanted to agitate Brett Gallant, so as they awaited a faceoff at center ice, he bumped into the AHL’s premier tough guy.

Gallant, of course, retaliated, cross-checking Pekar near his neck. A second later, Pekar, a rookie forward with the Americans, dropped the gloves for the first time as a pro.

Meanwhile, Gallant, a veteran with the Cleveland Monsters, registered his 107th AHL fight, according to hockeyfights.com.

It ... Read the full article

Excitement accompanies Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s first start

Right now, the Buffalo Sabres need top goalie prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

Carter Hutton and Linus Ullmark are injured. Dustin Tokarski, who played in Thursday’s 5-1 loss to the Boston Bruins, started back-to-back games earlier this week. He can’t go again tonight against Boston inside KeyBank Center.

The Sabres’ only other goalie on an NHL contract, Michael Houser, has spent most of his career in the ECHL.

They’re out of options, so Luukkonen, ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Jack Quinn showcased growth before season-ending surgery

BUFFALO – Before Sabres prospect Jack Quinn left the Rochester Americans earlier this week to undergo season-ending hernia surgery, coach Seth Appert said the rookie’s teammates gravitated to him and wanted to say goodbye.

In a normal year, Quinn, the eighth overall pick in 2020, wouldn’t have been eligible to play in the AHL. But the Ontario Hockey League’s COVID-19 pause created a unique opportunity for teenagers like Quinn to develop against men in ... Read the full article