The Buffalo Sabres goalie situation has been a rough one all year. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen didn’t make it better on Wednesday.
UPL didn’t make it to the finish line against the Tampa Bay Lightning — and if there had been a way to put in a third goalie, Colten Ellis might’ve warranted that.
In the end, the Lightning scored eight goals in an 8-3 win over the Sabres.
The Buffalo crowd didn’t have to stick around until the end of the game. They could hit the road early.
But man, it really emphasized what has been a tough goalie situation all season.
The Sabres are still awaiting the return of Alex Lyon, who got injured in the preseason and hasn’t played yet.
Lyon is back on the ice for practice, though, which means his return is coming soon, it seems.
The Sabres couldn’t get him back soon enough. Lyon’s return will be welcomed with open arms. It’ll be a chance for Buffalo to try something different.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen Stats
Luukkonen allowed five of the eight Lightning goals.
He only faced 14 shots, so he saved 9-of-14 shots (64.3%).
Two of the goals against Luukkonen came on the power play.
The big bummer provided by UPL on this night came at the end of the first period. The game was tied 0-0 through 18 minutes, and Buffalo had outshot the Lightning.
Then Tampa Bay scored two goals in two minutes to take a 2-0 lead to the first intermission.
It’s not all Luukkonen’s fault, but that’s the kind of moment that simply can’t happen.
Colten Ellis Stats
Ellis came in for Luukkonen early in the third period after Tampa Bay’s fifth goal.
In about 18 minutes, Ellis faced eight shots and allowed three goals. So that’s 5-of-8 saves, 62.5%.
Two of the goals against Ellis also came on the power play, making it four Tampa Bay goals on the man-up on the night.
Ellis was a quality third goalie last season behind Luukkonen and Lyon as the Sabres went with that unusual three-goalie system. It’s not clear that that’ll be a worthwhile approach this season, though.
And if Lyon doesn’t come back on fire, it’s going to be tough for Buffalo to maintain pace in a difficult Atlantic Division this season. Without better play in net, a lot will be asked from Buffalo’s attacking unit to keep scoring goals — and asking them to score eight is certainly a big ask.
Sabres Pull Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Await Alex Lyon