‘This will be the most anticipated goaltending debut since Ryan Miller, the franchise’s all-time leader in wins, first donned the Sabres crest in a regular-season game on Nov. 19, 2002. Hockey fans in Buffalo have watched Luukkonen’s ascent from afar, from his gold-medal winning performance for Finland at the IIHF World Junior Championship to earning Ontario Hockey League Most Valuable Player honors with a .920 save percentage for Sudbury in 2019.’
Archives for April 22, 2021
Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen thrilled for first opportunity with Sabres
‘“It helps to see what the pace of the game is and how the level in the NHL looks like,” he said. “You just try to soak up as much as you can and learn how the play falls and what the speed is like. Also it helps to be with the team here and get to know the guys.”’
Thursday’s Boston Coverage
Sabres to host Marchand and the Bruins (AP)
Need to Know: Bruins at Sabres (BostonBruins.com)
Hamilton Take 2: Is Granato the man for the job?
‘Granato isn’t the sexy choice. People go gaga over Bruce Boudreau and Gerard Gallant, but don’t forget where Sean McDermott came from. He was a defensive coordinator with the Carolina Panthers with no NFL head coaching experience, but the Pegula’s handed him the keys to the kingdom and looked what happened.’
Luukkonen acclimating to Sabres with debut approaching
‘Sabres interim coach Don Granato said he would inform his goaltenders on Thursday regarding the team’s plans for back-to-back games against the Bruins. If Tokarski gets the nod in the first game, it stands to reason that Luukkonen could make his debut Friday.’
Thursday’s Rochester Coverage
Amerks edged by Crunch in high-scoring affair (Amerks.com)
Crunch rally past Amerks, 7-6 (SyracuseCrunch.com)