BUFFALO – In winning five of his last seven starts, goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has reemerged as the Sabres’ backbone, helping them shake off a disastrous stretch in which they plummeted to the Eastern Conference basement.
Over the past three weeks, the Finn has regularly showcased the stellar form that made him one of the NHL’s elite netminders throughout the second half of last season.
Luukkonen was at his best in Thursday’s 4-0 road win over the Ottawa Senators, making 35 saves, the highest total he has recorded in his seven NHL shutouts.
Since the Sabres ended their ugly 13-game winless skid Dec. 23, he has registered a 5-1-1 record with a 2.41 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage. Entering Friday’s schedule, his win total was tied for the league lead during that stretch.
As he illustrated last season, one of his hot streaks can last for months. If the Sabres, who host former Buffalo coach Dan Bylsma and the Seattle Kraken this afternoon, have any hope of climbing up the standings, he must perform dynamically down the stretch.
But right now, Luukkonen just wants to stay in the moment. He doesn’t feel his recent outings mean he has found a groove.
“I don’t see it that way necessarily,” he told the Times Herald following Friday’s practice in KeyBank Center. “I don’t want to think there’s a feeling you’re chasing. … I feel like every day’s a new day. You have to show up.
“I feel like it’s not about me. I think we’ve just been playing good hockey lately and it shows up in my game, too.”
It’s no coincidence Luukkonen, who won eight of 10 decisions earlier this season, took off again when the Sabres ended their embarrassing streak by beating the New York Islanders 7-1.
“I just feel like we’ve played better as a team, kind of more confident, more confident in your own system,” he said. “Everybody trusts the way we play. I think that we have showed that.”
While Luukkonen and his teammates have endured some hiccups since then – he allowed 10 total goals in back-to-back losses last week – the Sabres have often played much tighter, helping them limit chances against.
“I think it’s all connected, for sure,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said of the team’s play to Luukkonen’s. “I think you need big saves. I think we got some key big saves last night that don’t go unnoticed that could have turned the momentum of the game. You need those key saves at a key time in the game.
“And I think what is connected is we’re trying to stay away from those real high-quality rushes, the odd-numbered rushes, the stuff that has a better chance of going in. I think we’ve been better at that. And when we can stay away from that, I think it elevates the goalie’s play.”
The 6-foot-5, 223-pound Luukkonen looked sharp throughout Thursday’s victory, his 60th in the NHL. Yes, the Senators had a high shot total, but most of them came from low-danger areas.
“We didn’t give them much,” Luukkonen said. “Everything was pretty much outside and we were boxing out and taking rebounds away as well. So I don’t think the shots tell the whole story, and it was just a good team effort.”
Luukkonen also enjoyed some luck in Ottawa. Shane Pinto’s breakaway attempt went through his legs and off the post. When he got caught out of his net later, Sabres center Peyton Krebs knocked the puck to him, and he gloved it.
“It’s not just the bounces go your way, but I feel like you earn your luck, and I feel like we did that,” he said. “Just guys coming in front of the net and stopping and taking care of the rebounds if there were any. That happened a couple times in the game where the guys kind of bailed me out.”