“Huge save. Save of the year. I don’t know what you want to call it, but I was on the bench, and my jaw was on the floor until I got back to the ice,” said Alex Tuch, recalling Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s incredible diving stick save on Jimmy Vesey near the start of the third period. Luukkonen was excellent all night in a huge bounce-back victory for the Buffalo Sabres. The New York Rangers had plenty of chances, but Buffalo avenged their opening night loss with a 5-1 win. Here are some key takeaways from the Nov. 28 edition of the Sabres vs. Rangers.
Luukkonen Cements His Position As Sabres’ Number 1 Goaltender
With the victory last night, Luukkonen became the first Sabres goalie this season to win three consecutive starts, and boy did he earn it. He stoned Artemi Panarin on a breakaway late in the first period and turned aside another dangerous shot off the rush by Chris Kreider. The Rangers continued to press in the second period but to no avail.
Early in the third, Luukkonen made arguably the save of the season when he stretched out his stick to rob Vesey, who was briefly staring at an open cage. If not for these critical moments, the Rangers could have easily flipped this game around. Luukkonen has been giving the Sabres the goaltending they have sorely needed to improve in recent years. Over his three-game winning streak, he has posted a .941 save percentage (SV%), and he now has six consecutive starts with a positive goals saved above expected.
The starting job in net for the Sabres was up for grabs at the beginning of the season, and Luukkonen has earned it with his recent performance. I expect to see him start the majority of the games going forward. Does this mean Devon Levi is on his way to the American Hockey League? Time will tell.
Sabres’ Top Line Finds Success Below the Goal Line
It was a fantastic night for a trio of red-hot Sabres forwards, including Jeff Skinner, Alex Tuch, and Casey Mittelstadt. This group now has a combined 14 points in the past three games, and they’re finding the majority of their offense by going to the dirty areas.
Tuch set the tone early by stealing the puck from Mika Zibanejad on a hard forecheck before setting up Skinner for a glorious chance that Igor Shesterkin denied. Skinner would return the favor just minutes later, pickpocketing Erik Gustafsson behind the net and setting up Tuch for another opportunity that Shesterkin stopped. Finally, the top line was rewarded in the second period when Tuch beat his man to the net off a Mittelstadt rebound to put the Sabres up 2-0. Tuch would score again, this time on a deflected shot after Mittelstadt won a battle along the boards. This line completely controlled the game when they were on the ice and finished with an incredible expected goal share of 98.7 percent.
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This group is like a pack of hyenas in the offensive zone right now, and the intense pressure they apply allows them to feast on turnovers. If the top line can form an identity around winning puck battles, they will be tough to play against.
JJ Peterka Stays Hot
While the second line of JJ Peterka, Dylan Cozens, and Zach Benson wasn’t as dominant as the first line, they did generate offense in this one. Benson was robbed several times by Shesterkin on prime scoring chances, as he continues to find offensive chemistry with his new linemates. As we saw with the top unit, Peterka helped create his own goal by forechecking hard below the goal line, which forced a weak clearing attempt by the Rangers that Owen Power sifted toward the net. The puck found its way back onto Peterka’s stick in the slot, where he sniped home his ninth goal of the season.
Don’t look now, but he is second on the Sabres in both goals and points. Peterka is only three goals shy of matching his total from last season. The development of Peterka and Mittelstadt this season continues to be an excellent story for Buffalo, and it’s one of the reasons they have been able to stay in the mix despite an inconsistent first quarter of the season.
Up Next for the Sabres
The Sabres have a two-day break before embarking on a grueling stretch in which they play four games in just six days. It all starts on Wednesday, Nov. 30, in St. Louis, where the Sabres will take on the Blues for the first time this season.
