If you are a Buffalo Sabres fan, then you are certainly disappointed with your favorite hockey team.
The team is currently (As of Thursday, February 22) sixth in the Atlantic Division, 13th in the Eastern Conference, and 25th in the league. It was not supposed to be like this for the Sabres this season, but here we are.
One player who has not been a disappointment this season is goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. This is an unexpected development as Devon Levin was supposed to be the main man between the pipes for this hockey club this season.
Unfortunately for the Sabres, Levi, 22, got off to a slow start and has been seeing time down in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Rochester Americans and struggled. With the Sabres, Levi is currently 9-7-0-2 with a 3.30 goals-against average and a .891 save percentage.
In comes Luukkonen, 24, and all of a sudden, the Sabres goaltending has stabilized. Luukkonen is currently 15-14-0-2 with a 2.52 goals-against average, a .911 save percentage, and four shutouts.
Those numbers are very impressive for a team that does not play well defensively. What is also impressive is the way he has played in three of his last four starts:
- February 13: 33-save shutout victory over the Los Angeles Kings
- February 17: Stopped 30 of 32 shots in a win over the Minnesota Wild
- February 19: Stopped 10 of 14 shots in a loss to the Anaheim Ducks
- February 21: Stopped 29 of 31 shots in a win over the Montreal Canadiens
There are a few reasons why Luukkonen is playing so well this season. For starters, he is extremely athletic.
Luukkonen is great at stretching from post to post to make saves, recovering quickly to stop second and third chances, and making a lot of different kinds of saves that many other goaltenders cannot. It may not always look pretty, but he knows how to stop the puck with every part of his body.
He is also playing well because he has become better at reading plays. More often than not, he will beat the puck to the opponents sticks because of his great anticipation.
In an article written by Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic, Luukkonen mentioned how he has learned how to better understand how the game is played at this level, which has helped him when it comes to reading and anticipating plays.
“Once you get more games, you understand the game better,” Luukkonen said. “When you play well, you get confidence. And when you have confidence, you feel like you have an extra second. The game slows down in front of you when you’re not thinking too much and you’re just expecting and knowing which way the game is going.”
Luukkonen also mentioned in that same article that that was not the case last season and that there is a noticeable difference this season.
“You have the thought in your head of, ‘Oh, I need to make the save here,’” Luukkonen said. “And then the play gets behind you and you’ve kind of screwed yourself over because the other guy is open. Learning how to read that and when to challenge is the biggest thing.”
Lastly, he is playing with a lot of confidence right now. He is challenging shooters, not giving up a lot of soft goals, and despite playing on one of the weaker teams in the league, is going out there and getting the job done, which is not easy for a Sabres goaltender to do.
While Levi is still the team’s top prospect and, more than likely, its franchise goaltender, there is no doubt that Luukkonen is making things interesting with his strong play in the net this season.
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