Luukkonen - Buffalo Hockey Beat

As Sabres get healthier, difficult roster decisions, even trade, could be made

BUFFALO – Waiving tough guy Mason Geertsen was the easy one. Difficult roster decisions loom for the Sabres as sick and injured players begin to return to the lineup.

By taking Geertsen, a healthy scratch 15 times this season, off the roster, they can activate winger Jason Zucker, 33, off injured reserve.

The Sabres, who host the Chicago Blackhawks tonight at KeyBank Center, sorely need Zucker. Their oldest and most experienced player has missed the ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Zach Benson happy to be back after injury; Jason Zucker can play Friday following illness

BUFFALO – The oddest stretch of Zach Benson’s young career is likely over. The diminutive Sabres winger rejoined his teammates for Wednesday’s pregame skate and hopes he can play in the coming days.

Two injuries – a seemingly innocent cut that forced him to be hospitalized the day before the season opener and a lower-body ailment – have kept him out of 12 of the Sabres’ first 20 games, including the last nine after a ... Read the full article

After early goalie change, will Sabres start Alex Lyon, UPL or Colten Ellis?

Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff’s decision to yank goalie Alex Lyon barely six minutes into Thursday’s 6-3 road loss wasn’t performance-related.

“It had nothing to do with Lyon,” Ruff told reporters following the game against the Colorado Avalanche.

No, with the Sabres trailing 2-0 – Martin Necas scored on a breakaway at the 52-second mark before Artturi Lehkonen converted a rebound at the net – replacing Lyon with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen essentially gave them a much-needed ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Devon Levi pulled from game during career-worst slump with Rochester: ‘He’s got to be better’

ROCHESTER – The fifth puck past Americans goalie Devon Levi, a shot from the far bottom of the right circle, forced coach Mike Leone to make a late goaltending change.

For the just the second time in his 76-game AHL career, Levi, the Buffalo Sabres’ top goalie prospect, got yanked from a game.

In Wednesday’s 6-4 loss in Blue Cross Arena, the Amerks roared back late, scoring three straight goals after the Belleville Senators ... Read the full article

Sabres can’t beat Joel Hofer, get shut out by Blues: ‘Got to bear down’

BUFFALO – The St. Louis Blues limped into town ripe to be exploited, having won just one of their last nine games and been throttled a night earlier by five goals.

In goal Thursday for the reeling Blues against the Sabres? Backup Joel Hofer, who owned a 5.02 goals-against average and an .836 save percentage, ghastly numbers that ranked second and third from the bottom, respectively, in the NHL.

The Sabres, meanwhile, began the night ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Mattias Samuelsson confident after ‘dark days;’ Zach Benson sidelined

BUFFALO – In the most trying season of his career, Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson experienced what he called some “dark days.”

When he wasn’t injured, at times, he performed so poorly coach Lindy Ruff scratched him. In January, he was on the ice when the Sabres let New Jersey Devils winger Stefan Noesen get away with hitting winger Tage Thompson in the head and concussing him.

The 6-foot-4, 229-pound Samuelsson bore the brunt of the ... Read the full article

As UPL finds game, Sabres goalie Alex Lyon makes strong case for more starts

BUFFALO – Following one game serving as Alex Lyon’s backup, Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen said he will play again tonight against the St. Louis Blues, his second nod in the last three games but just his third this season.

As the Finn, 26, recently recovered from two lower-body injuries, Lyon, 32, emerged as the Sabres’ workhorse and early-season MVP.

Now, Luukkonen, fresh off Saturday’s stellar 31-save outing in which he stopped all five shootout attempts ... Read the full article

Sabres Josh Norris skating again; Tyson Kozak close to returning from injury

BUFFALO – Sabres center Josh Norris, who suffered an upper-body injury opening night, is progressing and has started skating again, coach Lindy Ruff said.

“I’ve talked to him, he said he’s feeling better,” Ruff said following Wednesday’s practice in KeyBank Center. “He’s not in that feeling great category yet, but he’s feeling better. And (we) really just want to keep progressing him with no setbacks.”

Ruff said has he no timetable for Norris’ return. He ... Read the full article

JJ Peterka won’t say if he wanted to be traded from Sabres: ‘Focus is on Utah’

BUFFALO – Utah Mammoth winger JJ Peterka wanted no part of the questions and revisiting that part of his past here.

Before the Sabres traded him on June 26, did he request to be dealt? Did he want out of Buffalo?

“I met so many great people in the organization,” Peterka replied prior to Tuesday’s game, his first at KeyBank Center as a visitor. “I made so many good friends. But, yeah, I think ... Read the full article

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stars in Sabres’ shootout win; Isak Rosen scores first NHL goal

BUFFALO – Two days before Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s splendid 33-save outing in Saturday’s 4-3 shootout win, coach Lindy Ruff acknowledged the Finn, having recently missed so much time, likely wasn’t ready to be a big difference-maker.

Luukkonen, who on Saturday made just his second NHL start this season and first in a week, has spent most of the last two months battling two lower-body injuries.

In his absence, veteran Alex Lyon quickly emerged as ... Read the full article