WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
December Edition
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has played 41 games this season. ©2024, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Following a rare breather a week ago, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has resumed one of the NHL’s heaviest workloads as the Sabres’ No. 1 goalie.
Tonight against the New York Islanders at KeyBank Center, Luukkonen, 25, is expected to start his third straight game. The Finn has earned the nod in 11 of the last 12 contests and 21 of the last 24 since Jan. 11.
Luukkonen has played an NHL-high 22 times during that ... Read the full article
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen looks for the puck Thursday between Ryan Johnson (33) and Reese Johnson (52). ©2024, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s stellar goaltending is just one part of the Sabres’ improved defense.
Right now, Luukkonen, 24, is the NHL’s hottest goalie, having posted back-to-back shutouts after making 19 saves in Thursday’s 3-0 win over the hapless Chicago Blackhawks.
The Finn’s current shutout streak of 157:55 is the longest by a Sabres netminder since Ryan Miller blanked opponents for 161:35 from Nov. 27 to Dec. 7, 2010. Only five goalies in franchise history ... Read the full article
Matt Murray won two Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
MONTREAL – The Buffalo Sabres must keep looking for another goalie.
A potential deal between the Sabres and Ottawa Senators involving Matt Murray was nixed because Buffalo is on the goalie’s 10-team no-trade list, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
The Senators would’ve retained some of Murray’s salary and given the Sabres the seventh overall pick in tonight’s NHL Draft in exchange for the 16th selection, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger.
“The reality is we worked ... Read the full article
Carter Hutton played 94 games for Buffalo over three seasons. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
Ex-Buffalo Sabres goalie Carter Hutton planned to become a machinist or millwright. Cracking the NHL, or even earning a college scholarship, was a far-fetched dream.
Hutton, who last week retired from the NHL after nine seasons, wasn’t any sort of prospect.
In his late teens, he was taking a mechanical engineering technician course, working at the local phone company and allowing more than five goals per game in the Superior International Junior Hockey League.
Buffalo defensemen Henri Jokiharju (10) and Owen Power (25) battles for position Tuesday in Toronto against Auston Matthews (34) and Michael Bunting (58). ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Winger Alex Tuch figures the Sabres set some sort of record in Tuesday’s 5-2 road win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“It’s got to be the youngest D corps to ever step on the ice tonight, I feel like,” Tuch said after defenseman Owen Power, 19, made his NHL debut in Scotiabank Arena. “The oldest guy’s Casey Fitzgerald at 25.”
Incredibly, the average age of the Sabres’ defense in Tuesday’s contest ... Read the full article
Dustin Tokarski has played 22 games this season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Dustin Tokarski has accomplished something unusual. Goalies in their 30s more than four seasons removed from their last NHL game rarely return to the big leagues.
Tokarski, 32, not only made it back, he has stuck with the Sabres for more than a year.
Since relieving an injured Carter Hutton on March 22, 2021, Tokarski has played 35 games, including a career-high 22 this season. In his first 11 pro seasons, he made ... Read the full article
Linus Ullmark first joined Buffalo in 2015. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
In the barely a week, the Buffalo Sabres have said goodbye to four of their most talented players: goalie Linus Ullmark, center Sam Reinhart and defensemen Jake McCabe and Rasmus Ristolainen.
And in the coming days or weeks, they will likely trade captain Jack Eichel, their most dynamic player and the face of the franchise.
Remember, the Sabres finished dead last in the 2020-21 season, winning only 15 of their 56 games, with those players... Read the full article
Linus Ullmark was Buffalo’s MVP last season. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
Linus Ullmark has chosen to leave his gig as the Buffalo Sabres’ starting goalie to join the Boston Bruins as a free agent, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger.
The Swede’s departure is a huge loss for the Sabres, who don’t have a replacement in the organization.
Last season, Ullmark was the Sabres’ backbone and MVP, compiling a 9-6-3 record with a 2.63 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage in 20 games for a last-place ... Read the full article
Linus Ullmark enjoyed a stellar season on a bad team in 2020-21. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
The days of the Sabres trying to lure big-name free agents to Buffalo are over. When the market opens today, they’ll likely be bit players, focusing on filling some of their many holes and adding depth while attempting to re-sign goalie Linus Ullmark.
Ullmark’s departure would be a massive blow to the Sabres. The Swede, their backbone and MVP, earned nine of the team’s 15 wins last season in only 20 outings.
They don’t ... Read the full article
Linus Ullmark was Buffalo’s backbone last season. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Throughout the offseason, the Sabres have stayed in regular contact with Linus Ullmark’s agent and stressed they want the Swede to be their No. 1 goalie.
The Sabres sorely need Ullmark, their backbone and team MVP. While prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen looked impressive in limited NHL action late last season, he’s ticketed to return to the minors for more seasoning.
They don’t have another netminder in the pipeline ready to assume the starting job.... Read the full article