The Buffalo Sabres are most likely turning to a veteran goaltender in their quest to gain ground in the Atlantic Division.
Per Rachel Lenzi, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen manned the starter’s net on Wednesday during the Sabres’ optional morning skate. Daily Faceoff listed him as the “likely starter” in a pivotal Atlantic Division showdown with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Luukkonen has been struggling overall this season but has looked better as of late. He is 2-1-2 in his last five starts and 5-3-3 overall with an .878 save percentage, a 3.27 GAA, and a .300 quality starts percentage.
He will face a tall task on Wednesday night, should the projection hold, as the Lightning are once again among the league’s best teams. Tampa Bay is ninth in goals scored with 63. They also boast one of the best netminders in the world in Andrei Vasilevskiy, who, per Eduardo Encina, is projected to start for Tampa.
Luukkonen will have his work cut out for him. But so will the Sabres’ skaters.
Buffalo Sabres Projected Lines And Pairings vs. Lightning
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Paul Hamilton shared updates on two players: Ryan McLeod and Louis Crevier. McLeod looks like he is ready to roll, while the jury remains out on Crevier.
McLeod is slated to center the third line, which includes Jason Zucker and Josh Doan at the wings. That entire line is looking to get going, with Doan leading the trio with four points in 17 games.
The top six is projected to include Zach Benson, Noah Ostlund, and Jack Quinn on one line, and Peyton Krebs, Josh Norris, and Tage Thompson on the other. Norris enjoyed a solid outing in that win on Nov. 6 over Columbus.
Beck Malenstyn, Tyson Kozak, and Sam Carrick are the slated fourth-liners. All three players boast an incredibly physical game and should be fun to watch.
If Crevier can’t go, Conor Timmins and Zach Metsa should get the nod on the third pairing. Buffalo’s projected top four looks consistent, with Mattias Samuelsson and Rasmus Dahlin on one pairing, and Owen Power and Olen Zellweger on the second. Power has 14 points in 17 contests, leading all Sabres defensemen in the category.
Sabres Have Played Well Against Their Own Division
Through the first quarter of the season, the Sabres have held their own against the Atlantic. Buffalo is currently 2-1-2 in divisional games and has yet to lose a single game to a rival by more than a goal.
They opened up their Atlantic slate on Oct. 12 in a 5-3 victory over the Florida Panthers. Then came three straight intra-divisional games decided by either overtime or a shootout. Buffalo dropped both matchups to the Montreal Canadiens, who remain perfect in the Atlantic, and defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Buffalo suffered its first regulation loss in the Atlantic against the Ottawa Senators by a score of 2-1. That said, the Lightning present a challenge. Tampa is in third in the Atlantic and poised to tie the second-place Canadiens with a win on Wednesday. Buffalo is trying to keep pace in the early-season wild card race.
Should Luukkonen ultimately man the net on Wednesday night, he’ll need to pull off yet another solid outing, similar to what he has had lately. The puck drops at 7:00 p.m. EST.
Sabres’ Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen Set for Key Test Against Lightning