Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will likely earn a breather this week and take a backseat to Colten Ellis for one of the Buffalo Sabres’ three games in California.
Coach Lindy Ruff hinted at it last week, saying once Luukkonen, who has started five straight games and played in the last six contests, reaches a certain threshold, someone else must take his turn.
The Finn, 27, has morphed into the Sabres’ workhorse, playing nine of their first 11 games entering Tuesday’s contest against the San Jose Sharks.
That, of course, almost certainly wasn’t their goalie plan entering this season. After reportedly pursuing Connor Hellebuyck hard during the offseason, they likely envisioned utilizing a rotation similar to the one that worked so well last year.
Luukkonen and Alex Lyon would split the action, with Ellis receiving some spot starts. If Luukkonen or Lyon got hurt, they had Ellis.
It worked almost perfectly last season, as each goalie thrived and contributed to the Sabres’ breakout 109-point campaign.
Well, this season, Lyon injured his left shoulder in the preseason and recently suffered a setback in his recovery. He hasn’t played a game.
Ellis appeared to be stealing some starts before Ruff yanked him Oct. 12 following a wonky 26-minute appearance in which he allowed two goals to the Florida Panthers.
He hasn’t sniffed the net since that brief outing. If Luukkonen faces the Sharks, it will mark the first time he has played seven consecutive games since late in 2024-25.
Fair or not, criticism has accompanied Luukkonen’s performance this season.
He has compiled a 3-3-3 record with a 3.56 goals-against average an .866 save percentage. His .767 high-danger save percentage is 42 points below the NHL average. He has allowed at least three goals in each start.
He has made some critical stops, but they need more.
Luukkonen has become the perhaps the NHL’s most maligned netminder. A fan base itching for more success viewed Hellebuyck, a three-time Vezina Trophy winner with the Winnipeg Jets, as the missing piece that could put the Sabres over the top.
Now that the New Jersey Devils have landed Hellebuyck in a blockbuster trade, the scrutiny Luukkonen faces will possibly only increase.
Plenty of blamed can be shared for the Sabres’ disappointing 4-4-3 start. Luukkonen certainly hasn’t reached the level he showcased last season when he and Lyon regularly alternated starts and formed the NHL’s best tandem.
But everything isn’t his fault.
The Sabres often look in disarray around him, missing assignments and breaking down. Right now, they have no identity.
Some of the advanced numbers don’t illustrate it – they’ve given up 61 high-danger scoring chances against, the NHL’s third-lowest number entering Monday’s schedule – but the eye test proves the Sabres have constantly hung their goalie out to dry this month.
“Upie’s been unbelievable,” winger Josh Doan told reporters Saturday in Washington following the Sabres’ 4-3 overtime loss to the Capitals. “There’s not much you can ask for on the goals against tonight. I think that’s become a common theme is that we’ve let him down. I think everyone in this room knows that we’ve let Upie down, and that’s on us.
“And I think there’s a reason that this room and everyone here has faith in Upie. We’ve all seen it, and we all know how competitive he is and how much he brings to the table for us. And I think we all owe him a huge apology right now.”
On Saturday, the Sabres grabbed an early 2-0 lead before imploding.
“A couple bad pinches where we gave up two-on-ones,” Ruff told reporters Monday in San Jose. “We’re asking our goaltender to make big plays. Eliminate those types of plays.”
Ruff mentioned on Dylan Strome’s go-ahead goal Saturday, the Sabres had five guys around the net to the Capitals’ two.
“That’s a play that we really don’t want a guy getting inside us,” he said.
At least the Sabres held a rare lead Saturday. The same team that pounced on opponents last year has trailed by two goals in nine games this season.
Incredibly, they’ve been ahead for an NHL-low 77:04 this season.
There are other ghastly numbers. They’ve allowed 16 goals in the first period and 18 in the second, awful numbers that ranked second-worst in the league.
Their minus-11 goal differential in the second period also ranked second-worst. They haven’t led after 40 minutes once this season.
They’ve allowed just four goals in the third period, when they’re often mounting ferocious comebacks, a number that was tied for the league’s best with the Dallas Stars.
They need more from Luukkonen, just like nearly every player on the roster.
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Ruff told reporters that center Jiri Kulich, who took a puck to the face in Friday’s practice, is in concussion protocol and hasn’t joined them team.