BUFFALO - Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is set to get the net again tonight, with the Sabres expected to hand him his fourth straight start against the Philadelphia Flyers.
It’s a clear sign of where things stand for Buffalo right now. Luukkonen hasn’t quite matched the elite stretch he put together for much of last season, but he has settled in as Lindy Ruff’s most reliable choice, and he’s been giving the Sabres enough chances with timely stops.
Since he stepped in for a struggling Colten Ellis on Oct. 12, Luukkonen has gone 2-0-2 with a 3.25 goals-against average and an .897 save percentage over four games. NHL Edge also has his high-danger save percentage at .740 this season.
Ruff pointed to the way the group is defending in front of him as part of the reason the goalie numbers have started to move in the right direction.
“Sometimes you don’t spend enough time talking about that, (the big save), and you’ll spend time talking about, ‘Oh boy, I don’t know, I don’t like that goal,’” Ruff said this morning in KeyBank Center. “I know that as a group, we got better defending in us as a whole, and I think that’s affecting our group as a goaltending group.”
The scrutiny around Luukkonen has only grown. At 26, he’s under more of a spotlight than maybe any goalie in the mix, especially with the Sabres’ summer pursuit of Connor Hellebuyck hanging over the conversation. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Buffalo reportedly made a significant offer to the Winnipeg Jets for the disgruntled goaltender, whose suspension from the team ends Friday.
Until the Jets move Hellebuyck, the Sabres are likely to keep coming up in the discussion.
Ruff didn’t address any specific player or team, but he said Luukkonen is “aware” of the noise around him.
“He’s had his ups and downs, and I think we’ve seen some good hockey out of him, even through that,” Ruff said. “I think it’s part of what you have to deal with.”
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