Luukkonen - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres goalie Malcolm Subban had no idea he made brilliant save

PITTSBURGH – When Sabres goalie Malcolm Subban skated to the bench Friday after making perhaps the most brilliant save in the NHL this season, backup Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen asked him if he stopped the puck with his glove.

Subban, 27, had no idea his penchant for swinging his left arm behind his back, something he called a “bad habit,” resulted in a dynamic stop.

“Honestly, I didn’t even know it happened,” Subban said of his behind-the-back ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Malcolm Subban dazzles in OT loss; Casey Fitzgerald strong in debut

PITTSBURGH – Having spent his entire NHL career as a backup, Sabres goalie Malcolm Subban is conditioned for busy stretches like he experienced early in Friday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Penguins.

Playing second fiddle means often receiving the worst assignments. On Friday, the Sabres completed a back-to-back and closed a dizzying stretch of three road games in four nights. After beating the Minnesota Wild 3-2 in a shootout Thursday, they arrived in Pittsburgh at ... Read the full article

Sabres offer Malcolm Subban chance to earn more playing time

PITTSBURGH – After spending four straight years in the NHL, Buffalo Sabres goalie Malcolm Subban suddenly found himself in the minors again this season.

The Chicago Blackhawks’ acquisition of Marc-Andre Fleury dropped Subban, 27, to the AHL, where he shared the net with Collin Delia and Arvid Soderblom.

Playing time, of course, was limited, and Subban only made only five appearances with the Rockford IceHogs before the Sabres acquired him Dec. 2.

So Subban, who’s ... Read the full article

Sabres showcase growing confidence, maturity, beat Wild in shootout

In the not-so-recent past, the Buffalo Sabres might’ve lost a game like Thursday’s 3-2 shootout win over the first-place Minnesota Wild.

The Sabres trailed 2-1 after two periods because Kirill Kaprizov scored a late, potentially deflating goal. They outshot the Wild 21-6 in the first yet ended the period down 1-0. And then there was the noisy crowd of 18,022 fans inside Xcel Energy Center. The Sabres, of course, have often fared poorly in hostile ... Read the full article

Sabres lose Robert Hagg to lower-body injury; Casey Fitzgerald recalled

In his first months in Buffalo, Robert Hagg established himself as the Sabres’ premier shot blocker and one of their steadiest defensemen. At the same time, the Swede’s affable personality endeared him to his coaches and teammates.

So losing Hagg, who will be sidelined month to month with a lower-body injury, the Sabres announced this afternoon, leaves a significant hole in their lineup.

“We’re gonna miss him,” Sabres coach Don Granato said on a Zoom ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Alex Tuch practices in contact role, close to playing again

Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch went through his first full-contact practice Wednesday in Minnesota and is nearing a return to game action, coach Don Granato told The Buffalo News.

Tuch, who underwent offseason shoulder surgery while a member of the Vegas Golden Knights, started practicing in a non-contact role Nov. 29.

“He is close,” Granato said following Wednesday’s practice. “He’s going to go through a couple days of contact and we’ll get a ... Read the full article

Rasmus Dahlin performs dynamically in Sabres’ win: ‘A vision into his future’

At one end of the ice Tuesday, defenseman Rasmus Dahlin performed dynamically, scoring twice in the Buffalo Sabres’ 4-2 win against the Winnipeg Jets. At the other end, rookie goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen looked calm and composed, turning aside shot after shot in his fourth consecutive start.

At times during the past few weeks, as the losses piled up and the Sabres plummeted down the standings again, it could be hard to find positives in the ... Read the full article

Sabres make goalie moves, send Aaron Dell to Amerks

The Sabres this afternoon sent goalie Aaron Dell to the Rochester Americans and activated Malcolm Subban off injured reserved.

Subban, who missed the last three games with an undisclosed injury, will back up Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen for tonight’s road game against the Winnipeg Jets.

Dell, 32, struggled with the Sabres, compiling a 0-5-0 record with a 4.52 goals-against average and an .872 save percentage in seven games.... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen earns another start

Rookie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s start tonight in Winnipeg – a hostile NHL road environment filled with 15,000 noisy Jets fans – will be a new experience for him.

The Sabres goalie made his first three starts at home this season. Last year, the Finn played four games before no fans or very small crowds.

The Sabres, of course, have struggled on the road, winning just two of their 11 games (2-7-2). In their last road outing ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Malcolm Subban nears return; Casey Mittelstadt progressing well

BUFFALO – Goalie Malcolm Subban, who has missed the last three contests with an undisclosed injury, accompanied the Sabres on their three-game road trip after practicing this morning.

Subban, 27, hadn’t gone through a full team session since jamming his right foot into the post late in his Sabres debut Dec. 4.

Coach Don Granato said the Sabres will start the trip with three goalies: Subban, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Aaron Dell.

“We have ... Read the full article