The Buffalo Sabres walked off home ice after a 4-0 loss to the Dallas Stars with the same problem hanging over them that’s been there since opening night: Ukko‑Pekka Luukkonen hasn’t been nearly sharp enough.
Buffalo was pinned back for long stretches, especially in the second period, while Dallas controlled the puck, dictated the tempo and made itself comfortable in the offensive zone. The Sabres never found much of an answer at the other end, but the bigger issue was in goal.
With Alex Lyon still out because of the preseason injury he suffered, Luukkonen was supposed to steady things. Instead, he’s spent the first three starts of the season looking like a goalie still searching for his game.
Thursday night was another rough line for him: four goals allowed on 18 shots. That means he’s now given up three or more goals in each of his first three starts, leaving him with a 4.02 goals-against average and a .782 save percentage. For a team trying to convince people it belongs in the contender conversation, that simply isn’t close to enough.
I’ve been one of Luukkonen’s biggest supporters throughout his career, especially this offseason when his name kept popping up in Connor Hellebuyck trade rumors and again when he was reportedly offered to the Winnipeg Jets right before the draft. But with how this season has begun, it’s getting harder to keep defending him.
That said, this is still a tiny sample. A strong stretch over his next ten or so starts could wipe away the noise in a hurry.
That’s the volatility of goaltending. But even with that reality, Buffalo needs more from him right now - for his own confidence and for the team’s stability.
The Sabres also haven’t exactly made life easy on him. Against the Columbus Blue Jackets, they gave up three deflection goals and a point-blank chance that no goalie is expected to stop. Against the Chicago Blackhawks, they were a little better, but the first two goals in the opening period came from blown assignments that left Luukkonen exposed.
Dallas wasn’t much different. Three of the goals were on the defense, and while you’d still want Luukkonen to stop one or two of those, he also made several important saves that kept things from getting completely out of hand.
From the eye test, only about three of the 12 goals he’s allowed feel like they’re truly on him. The numbers, though, paint a tougher picture.
MoneyPuck has Luukkonen at minus‑5.1 goals saved above expected, which is the third-worst mark among all goaltenders who have played at least one game this season. That lines up with the basic truth of the start he’s had: he hasn’t played good hockey.
And the Sabres can’t really afford many more nights like this. Three games does not define a season, but in an Atlantic Division that turns into a nightly grind, every point matters.
Buffalo doesn’t need Luukkonen to be a Vezina-level force. It just needs him to be steady, to sit somewhere around a .900 save percentage and give the rest of the roster a chance to do its job.
That’s the whole ask. Stability.
The Sabres have enough offense, enough mobility on the blue line and enough structure to win without their goalie having to steal games every night. What they can’t survive are the soft goals, the early misreads and the momentum swings that put them in chase mode before they’ve settled in. Against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens, those mistakes get punished fast.
If Luukkonen settles in and gives Buffalo that baseline reliability, the Sabres can stay in the mix for one of the top three spots in the Atlantic. If he doesn’t, the margin for error gets awfully thin. The roster is built to compete, the talent is there and the window is open - but it all starts with the crease.